Mr. Speaker [The Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne]

¶ 01 Announcements

¶ 02 National Audit (Amendment) Bill: Determination of the Supreme Court

¶ 03 I wish to announce to Parliament that I have received the Decision of the Supreme Court in respect of the Bill titled “National Audit (Amendment)”, which had been challenged in the Supreme Court in terms of Article 121(1) of the Constitution.

¶ 04 The Supreme Court has communicated that the petitioners of SC/SD/21/2025 had withdrawn the application as they were satisfied with the Amendments to be moved at the Committee Stage of the Bill.

¶ 05 I order that the Decision of the Supreme Court be printed in the Official Report of today’s Proceedings of the House.

¶ 06 Determination of the Supreme Court:

¶ 07 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA

¶ 08 “NATIONAL AUDIT (AMENDMENT) BILL”

¶ 09 1. Transparency International Sri Lanka (Guarantee) Limited, 2. Pulasthi Hewamanna, Both No. 366, Nawala Road, Nawala. SC/SD/21/2025

¶ 10 Vs.

¶ 11 Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12. Respondent

¶ 12 Before: Hon. Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena; Hon. Justice Arjuna Obeyesekere; Hon. Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna

¶ 13 Counsel: Viran Corea, P.C. with Thilini Vidanagamage and Nishika Fonseka for the Petitioners. Nirmalan Wigneswaran, D.S.G. with Hashini Opatha, S.S.C., Rajika Aluwihare, S.C. and Senal Seneviratne, S.C. for the Respondent.

¶ 14 Date: 31.07.2025

¶ 15 A Bill titled “National Audit (Amendment) Bill” was published in the Gazette issued on 23rd June 2025, for the purpose of amending the National Audit Act, No. 19 of 2018, and was subsequently placed on the Order Paper of Parliament on 8th July 2025, in accordance with Article 78(1) of the Constitution.

¶ 16 The petitioners invoked the jurisdiction of this Court under Article 121(1) of the Constitution on 22nd July 2025, challenging the constitutionality of several clauses of the said Bill.

¶ 17 The Attorney General was noticed by this Court in terms of Article 134(1) of the Constitution.

¶ 18 The hearing commenced at 10.00 a.m. on 29th July 2025. During the course of the hearing, the Learned Deputy Solicitor General, appearing for the Hon. Attorney General, informed Court that, in response to the concerns raised by the Learned President’s Counsel for the petitioners, the amendments to be moved at the Committee Stage of the Bill would be tendered to Court in writing by way of a motion, with a copy served on the Learned President’s Counsel.

¶ 19 This undertaking was fulfilled by the Learned Deputy Solicitor General by motion dated 31st July 2025. A copy of the said motion together with its annexure is attached herewith.

¶ 20 In view of the said undertaking, learned President’s Counsel for the petitioners withdrew the application.

¶ 21 This is communicated in terms of Article 121(3) of the Constitution.

¶ 22 Mahinda Samayawardhena, J. Judge of the Supreme Court

¶ 23 Arjuna Obeyesekere, J. Judge of the Supreme Court

¶ 24 Sobhitha Rajakaruna, J. Judge of the Supreme Court

¶ 25 Meeting of Committee on Parliamentary Business

¶ 26 A meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business is scheduled to be held today, Wednesday, 06th August 2025, at 12.00 noon, in Committee Room No. 28. All Hon. Members are requested to attend.

¶ 27 Auditor-General’s Report

¶ 28 Under Article 154(6) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, I present Part I of Chapter III of the Auditor-General’s Report for the financial year 2024.

¶ 29 Question put, and agreed to.

¶ 30 Ordered that the Report be printed.

¶ 31 Papers Presented