Speaker reveals Supreme Court determination on 20th Amendment

Speaker of House Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena says the Supreme Court has determined that certain clauses of the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution must be passed with an absolute majority in Parliament and also at a public referendum to become a legislation.

“Clauses (03) (05) (04) & (22) in their present form are inconsistent with Article (03) read with Article (04) of the constitution and therefore require approval by the people at a referendum by virtue of the provisions of Article (83),” said the Speaker.

In the determination read to Parliament, the Supreme Court called for a referendum to obtain public approval for those clauses or for changes to be made to those clauses.

“However, such inconsistency in clauses (03) & (14) would ease by amending in accordance with the proposed committee stage amendments and inconsistency in clause (05) would cease, if clause (05) is suitably amended as specified in the determination,” stated the Speaker while reading out the Supreme Court determination.