From contested law to a repeal bill before Parliament.
Documented: the Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024 became law in February 2024. The Human Rights Commission raised constitutional and freedom-of-expression concerns. In February 2026 the Commission recommended a moratorium until repeal and replacement. Parliament later took an Online Safety (Repeal) Bill through second reading and referred it to the Legislative Standing Committee on 23 June 2026.
The Human Rights Commission said in 2024 that several provisions and omissions in the enacted law appeared not to comply fully with the Supreme Court determination on the Bill. UN Special Procedures had separately raised concerns that provisions of the proposed framework might not meet international standards protecting privacy, expression, peaceful assembly and association.
On 3 February 2026, the Human Rights Commission expressed concern about threats to freedom of expression and investigations into allegedly defamatory speech. It recommended that the Ministry of Justice declare a moratorium on use of the Online Safety Act until repeal and replacement with fit-for-purpose legislation.
Parliament’s official record for 23 June 2026 says the Online Safety (Repeal) Bill received its second reading and was referred to the Legislative Standing Committee. The published Bill is short and direct: its central provision would repeal the Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024 and regulations made under it.
Supported: serious rights and constitutional concerns were raised by authoritative institutions, and a repeal bill entered the parliamentary process. Not established by these documents alone: that every police investigation involving online speech was politically directed, that the Act was created solely to silence critics, or that every enforcement action under it was unlawful. Those claims require case-specific evidence.
Lanka Witness links readers to the underlying public material rather than asking them to accept our characterisation alone.
Last reviewed: 20 October 2026. This is a living evidence record and should be updated when Parliament or another authoritative institution publishes a material development.