Right To Life Human Rights Center
30 October 2026 | Colombo, Sri Lanka The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has outlined nine key recommendations concerning Sri Lanka’s proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism (PSTA) Bill, calling for stronger safeguards to ensure compliance with international human rights standards. In its legal assessment issued in October […]
This reflection is written by Sanjeewa Liyanage, who shared a close friendship with Basil Fernando for nearly four decades and worked closely with him for many years. It also carries the memories, affection and respect of many colleagues who worked with Basil at the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Asian Legal Resource Centre. It
Basil Fernando: A Life Devoted to Justice, Compassion and Human Dignity Read More »
The Right to Life Human Rights Centre expresses its deepest condolences on the passing of the late Mr Basil Fernando, a leading human rights defender and lawyer in Asia. We gratefully acknowledge that Mr Basil Fernando was a leader who made an immense contribution towards the establishment and strengthening of the Right to Life Human
Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis in 2022 was not just a macroeconomic failure; it was a profound human tragedy that rapidly pushed the national poverty rate to 25%. For decades, the legacy Samurdhi system had served as a fragile safety net, delivering cash transfers to roughly 1.7 million beneficiaries out of a targeted two million.
On July 30, 2026, the Right to Life Human Rights Centre convened a high-level consultation with Human Rights First Aid Centre (HRFAC) coordinators to guide the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the management of torture cases. Moderated by Attorney-at-Law Dulan Dassanayake, the session provided a vital platform for first responders across Sri Lanka
The Right to Life Human Rights Centre successfully held a stakeholder consultation on a Digital Triage System for Human Rights First Aid today at the Best Western Elyon Colombo. The strategic event convened 30 key stakeholders, encompassing government representatives, civil society members, legal professionals, and frontline human rights defenders (HRDs), including the Coordinators of the
The government’s proposed NGO law is a heavy-handed piece of legislation. The government’s justification is that regulating NGOs is necessary to comply with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which is an inter-governmental body that among other things aims to address issues of terrorist financing and money laundering. Furtherm that there is
A Better NGO Law Is Still Possible Read More »
The release of a draft of the Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Act, L.D.-O. 6/2026, is praiseworthy. This will allow all who care about democratic values to study the text and assess its implications. The implications are serious. If the draft is made law as is and its provisions are fully implemented, the democratic society
NGO Bill: Slouching toward totalitarianism? – Prof. Rohan Samarajiva Read More »
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has expressed deep concern over the violent incidents that occurred at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6, describing the tragedy as a serious threat to the rule of law and a reflection of long-standing structural problems within Sri Lanka’s prison system. In a statement issued on July
Addressing Parliament today, the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Mr. Harshana Nanayakkara, stated that one of the factors contributing to the severe overcrowding in prisons is the amendment introduced in 2022 to the Poisons, Opium, and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, along with delays in the Government Analyst’s reports. “Before that amendment, if the net weight
Minister of Justice explains steps taken to reduce prison overcrowding Read More »
Although eradicating drugs from a country is an essential matter, destroying the lives of innocent citizens by imprisoning them on fabricated charges in the name of drug suppression can in no way be condoned. One of the most serious tragedies we see today is the misuse of the law by certain corrupt police officers to
The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment fell on 26 June. Following a resolution presented to the United Nations General Assembly on 12 December 1997, 26 June has been observed as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture since 1998. Since 2004,