The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has made permanent its conditional order against two respondents in the first-ever case filed under Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024.
The case was originally filed on April 4, 2024, by former Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Chairman Janaka Rathnayake, who claimed he had been targeted and harassed online under the provisions of the Act. His legal team argued that the alleged conduct amounted to harassment under Section 20 and clarified the law’s objectives, prohibited statements, and related offences.
After considering submissions on jurisdiction under the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 39 of the Act, the Court had earlier issued a conditional order requiring notice to be served personally and via email.
When the matter was taken up today before Asanga Bodaragama, the Court made the order permanent against the first and second respondents, while removing it against the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th respondents, bringing the proceedings to a close.
The petitioner was represented by Kalinga Indatissa with counsel Vishwa De Livera Tennakoon and Shavinda Herath, acting on the instructions of Mithun Diasz.
This marks the first judicial test of Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Act since it came into operation last year.
