Navigating the complexities of global jurisprudence.

The Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act No 19 of 1954 (as amended) “SOEA” provides for holiday and leave entitlements of shop and office employees in Sri Lanka. The SOEA covers employees in all shops and offices in Sri Lanka, except for any bazar or sale of work for charitable or other purposes carried on for a period of one month or less, or for a greater period with the approval of the Minister of Labour, any business undertaken in connection with funerals

Buying property is one of the biggest investments most of us make, and in Sri Lanka, land can be registered under two different property registration systems, each with its own legal framework and procedures that define how land ownership is recorded and recognized. The Title Registration system (Bim Saviya) and the Registration of Documents system in Sri Lanka operate under distinct legal structures. The Title Registration system was introduced with the aim of streamlining secure land ownershi

The recent directions from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on maximum interest rates for Finance Companies (FCs), officially titled "Finance Company Directions - DLF No 01 of 2025," establish a new legal framework for how FCs can manage interest rates on deposits and debt instruments. These "Finance Company Directions - DLF No 01 of 2025" supersede previous directives. A ‘Finance Company’ is defined in the Finance Business Act No. 42 of 2011 as ‘a company licensed under the Act to carry on

Sections 82A – 82F of the Bills of Exchange (Amendment) Act, No. 13 of 2025 introduces stronger penalties, clearer rules, and faster legal remedies for dishonoured cheques under the Bills of Exchange Ordinance No. 25 of 1927 (as amended). The new amendment sets out what constitutes an offence, who can take legal action, the penalties, and the specific conditions under which these provisions apply. When does dishonouring a cheque become an offence? In terms of Section 82A (1), a person commits

The Reciprocal Recognition, Registration, and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, No. 49 of 2024 (hereinafter referred to as “the REFJA”)1 was certified by the Speaker on 13th September 2024 and was brought into force by Part II of the Gazette dated 20th September 2024. Subsequently, by virtue of Gazette Extraordinary No. 2429/512, the REFJA officially came into operation on 26th March 2025. With the enactment of the REFJA, the earlier legislative instruments governing the recognition and enfo

Grounds for obtaining a ‘divorce’ in Sri Lanka are all fault based and limited to 3, which are ‘adultery’, ‘malicious Desertion’ (where the party at fault leaves the matrimonial home) or Constructive Malicious Desertion (where due to the conduct of the party at fault the other party is compelled to leave the matrimonial home) and incurable ‘impotency’ at the time of marriage. Legal proceedings for divorce also deal with, to include, claims of alimony, alimony pendent-lite, physical and legal cus

Sri Lanka’s aviation legal framework plays a vital role in ensuring the safety, efficiency, and regulatory integrity of the nation’s airspace. Grounded in both international conventions and domestic legislation, it supports the structured development and oversight of civil aviation operations. The key legislative instruments governing civil aviation in Sri Lanka are: * Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka Act, No. 34 of 2002 * Civil Aviation Act, No. 14 of 2010 (as amended) * Carriage by A

The Colombo Port City (Guidelines on the Grant of Exemptions and Incentives to Businesses of Strategic Importance) Regulations, No. 2 of 2023 expired in August 2025 and have been replaced by Regulations No.1 of 2025. The new framework introduces more limited incentive periods and establishes higher eligibility thresholds for qualifying investments. The salient provisions are as follows: I. Primary Businesses of Strategic Importance (“Primary BSI”) An authorized person engaged in business with

In Sri Lanka, the termination of employment is governed by the Industrial Disputes Act No. 43 of 1950, as amended (“IDA”), and the Termination of Employment of Workmen (Special Provisions) Act No. 45 of 1971, as amended (“TEWA”). These laws apply across all categories of employees. On a collective application of these statutes, termination of employment in Sri Lanka can only be effected in the following circumstances 1. With the employee’s explicit consent, typically in the form of a resignat

On 18 June 2025, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development issued an Order under Section 22 of the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 (“Foreign Exchange Act”), published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2441/14 (“New Order”), repealing the previous Order published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2415/56 of 19 December 2024 (“Repealed Order”). The New Order continues to impose restrictions and limitations on outward remittances and overseas investments by persons resident in Sri Lank