Topic
Justice & Human Rights
2,079 speeches · 258 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney at Law, M.P. JJB | 162 |
| 2 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 96 |
| 3 | Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, M.P. Independent Group 17 - Jaffna | 84 |
| 4 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 79 |
| 5 | Hon. Ajith P. Perera, M.P. SJB | 71 |
| 6 | Hon. Ananda Wijepala, M.P. JJB | 67 |
| 7 | Hon. Mujibur Rahman, M.P. SJB | 60 |
| 8 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 52 |
| 9 | Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam, M.P. ITAK | 48 |
| 10 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 47 |
Speeches
2,079 on this topic- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Sunil Rathnasiri JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Rathnasiri disputed Opposition claims about Port Authority land in Trincomalee being used for a solar project, stating that approval had been granted on 01.07.2023 under the previous administration. He also defended the formation of youth clubs under “A Tomorrow for Youth” and alleged past misuse of National Youth Services Council and election-period funds by political opponents. He argued that the Government had prioritised economic recovery and rule of law by passing several legal reforms, including criminal procedure, proceeds of crime, foreign judgments, and Companies Act amendments, and linked these measures to improved tourism, remittances, and foreign investment prospects. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Anushka Thilakarathne, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Anushka Thilakarathne referred to Supreme Court rulings that fundamental rights were violated by the Emergency Regulations imposed in July 2022 during the Aragalaya period. Supporting the Companies (Amendment) Bill, she said it would close loopholes, align Sri Lanka with international standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, and allow requested public access to beneficial ownership information. She cited concerns about foundations and trusts allegedly used to launder funds, and argued that improved public trust in government had contributed to increased tax registrations. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam ACTC AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam marked Black July, alleging State complicity in the 1983 anti-Tamil violence and urging the Government to officially recognize the day as a national day of mourning rather than recast it as a message of “comradery.” While welcoming Companies Act amendments aimed at money laundering and illicit finance, he cautioned against focusing on terrorism financing without addressing the political grievances and State actions that he said fuel armed resistance. He raised concerns over unreleased lands in Valikamam North and Myliddy, alleging continued military occupation, agricultural use by the forces, and destruction of religious sites, and called on the Government to resolve these issues rather than rely on legislation alone. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. M.K.M. Aslam JJB AI summary Hon. M.K.M. Aslam supported the Companies Act amendments, saying they address legal deficiencies and require disclosure of beneficial ownership to reduce tax evasion and misuse of companies, including in relation to terrorism financing. He linked the debate to the anniversary of the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom, arguing that past governments diverted public anger onto minorities and recalling similar concerns after the Easter attacks. He called for national unity beyond ethnic divisions and stated that the NPP Government would protect all communities and reject racism. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB AI summary Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper linked the Bill’s provisions on tracing terrorism-related proceeds hidden through companies to the Easter Sunday investigations, citing the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court B Report in Case No. B 35882/24. He questioned why identified suspects and military intelligence officers, including those connected to the Vavunativu police killings and alleged prior intelligence on Zahran’s group, had not been questioned, arrested, or produced in court, while a civilian interpreter had been detained. He asked who was obstructing the investigation, called for scrutiny of the role and subsequent political trajectory of Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara, and urged the Government to investigate alleged use of military authority and extremist actors for political purposes. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy outlined the Sectoral Oversight Committee’s review of amendments to the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007, noting discussions with the Legal Draftsman’s Department, the Ministry and the Registrar of Companies on issues including money laundering, terrorism financing and IMF-required reforms. He said the amendments, including beneficial ownership disclosure and greater access to company information, aim to prevent misuse of registered entities and concealment behind fronts. He also urged the State to develop safeguards for legitimate industrialists, entrepreneurs and business operators, linking business regulation to broader concerns about personal and property security. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan ITAK AI summary Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan used the Companies (Amendment) Bill debate to mark 42 years since Black July, alleging the absence of accountability for anti-Tamil violence, prison killings, disappearances and mass graves, and referring to past reports and commissions that he said had not led to justice. He urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Government, with its parliamentary majority, to use the opportunity to pursue reconciliation by acknowledging past wrongs, addressing military occupation of Tamil memorial sites, and providing guarantees for Tamils to live with sovereignty in the North and East. He also questioned why Easter Sunday-related investigations focused on Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan while not questioning former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and others, and tabled a 2019 Reuters report. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 Hon. Chanaka Madugoda SLPP AI summary Hon. Chanaka Madugoda stated his party’s support for the Companies (Amendment) Bill and urged that companies be allowed to operate without unnecessary obstruction. He raised several constituency and sectoral concerns, including the exclusion of a major Western Province three-wheeler association from consultations, alleged politicisation of youth society appointments, and the need for regulated modernization of beach-seine fishing through winch permits. He also requested restoration of decentralized budget allocations to Opposition MPs and improvements to Parliament gallery facilities, particularly toilets used by visiting schoolchildren. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 Hon. Sarath Kumara, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Sarath Kumara supported the Companies (Amendment) Bill, stating that it implements FATF Recommendation 24 by requiring disclosure of companies’ ultimate beneficial owners to improve transparency and prevent money laundering and terrorism financing. He highlighted provisions requiring company secretaries to confirm beneficial ownership within two months and report to the Registrar of Companies within six months. He argued that the amendments would reduce the space for criminally motivated investments and invited Opposition Members to support efforts to strengthen the rule of law. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary While supporting corporate accountability measures, Sajith Premadasa raised concerns about alleged abuse involving land used by about 1,000 farming families in Trincomalee and Kaddaiparichchan since 1972. He said court action and eviction orders since 2024-2025 are being used to remove cultivators from about 800 acres, despite their long-term use of the land and receipt of fertilizer subsidies and cultivation loans. He objected to evictions reportedly linked to a proposed 200-acre solar power project, stating that renewable energy should not come at the expense of long-standing farmers. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that the amendment would strengthen Sri Lanka’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist and proliferation financing framework, in line with FATF recommendations and its APG obligations. He said it would help prevent asset concealment and laundering through companies, and requested support from all Members for its passage. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that personal data is governed by separate data protection legislation and cannot be disclosed unlawfully. He noted that beneficial ownership information may be obtained where legally permitted, including through Right to Information requests to the Registrar of Companies, subject to compliance with the data protection framework. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that observations from the Court on the petition filed against the Bill had been incorporated. He said concerns on personal data protection were addressed through compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act, and that the Bill allowed access to information through properly routed RTI requests with safeguards. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Bimal Rathnayake stated that individuals accused of theft and murder would be dealt with through legal proceedings, including filing cases, taking them into custody, and bringing them before the courts. He emphasized that accountability would be pursued through the judicial process. Procedural: Points of Order and Interjections on Historical Matters Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Bimal Rathnayake alleged that during 1987-1989, members and ministers of the United National Party maintained private torture chambers. He further claimed that a person involved in detonating bombs later contested for votes in Kandy under that party. Procedural: Points of Order and Interjections on Historical Matters Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara objected to an allegation that individuals who maintained private torture chambers were present in Parliament. He argued that such accusations should not be made without substantiation and demanded that the member making the claim identify the persons referred to. Procedural: Points of Order and Interjections on Historical Matters Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake referred to statements he made at the United Nations Human Rights Council regarding the Matale mass grave, noting that 140 human bone fragments had been found there. He stated that investigations are being conducted and alleged that individuals connected to past murders and private torture chambers are currently represented in Parliament. Procedural: Points of Order and Interjections on Historical Matters Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara disputed the Minister’s claim that no information remained about events 36 years earlier, citing details of the 8 February 1989 attack on guard posts at the Temple of the Tooth, the seizure of firearms, and arrests of named individuals. He also referred to disruption of the Kumbal Perahera and alleged threats to the Diyawadana Nilame. He requested the Minister of Public Security to conduct an inquiry and table the available records in Parliament. Oral Question: Security at Temple of the Tooth Relic and Road Closure Read →
- 23 July 2025 The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration JJB AI summary The Minister of Justice and National Integration presented the Ministry’s Performance Report for 2024. He proposed that the report be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Public Administration, Justice and Civil Security, and the House agreed. Papers: Annual Reports and Performance Reports Read →
- 22 July 2025 The Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara JJB AI summary Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara supported the Bills amending the Employees’ National Minimum Wage Act to raise the private sector minimum wage to Rs. 30,000 in two stages, citing previous increases in 2021 and 2024. He linked the measure to the Government’s policy pledge to establish a fair national wage structure, reduce disparities, and strengthen economic security alongside earlier public sector salary increases. He also referred to the State’s constitutional duty to eliminate exploitation and misuse of labour, noting past labour struggles including the death of Roshen Chanaka, and highlighted the relevance of wage protections to retired tri-forces personnel working in private security. Debate: National Minimum Wage of Workers and Budgetary Relief Allowance Bills (Second and Third Readings) Read →