Bureau of Rehabilitation Act challenged

Former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Ambika Satkunanathan has filed a Special Determination petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Bill titled Bureau of Rehabilitation Act.

In her petition, the former HRCSL Commissioner has raised concern about the militarization of the rehabilitation process by way of section 17 of the Bill, which allows the President to designate any member of the armed forces to discharge the powers, duties, and functions under the Act.

The petitioner maintained that there is no connection between the rehabilitation process and the involvement of the armed forces and that the lack of a clear chain of command restricts oversight and accountability of the actions of the members of the armed forces.

The petitioner is of the view that the provisions of the Bill are inconsistent with the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of Sri Lanka that guarantee freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention; torture and ill-treatment; and unequal treatment and discrimination.