Crime & Penal Code

අපරාධ සහ දණ්ඩ නීති සංග්‍රහය · குற்றங்களும் தண்டனைச் சட்டக் கோவையும்

Theft, violence, drugs, bribery, victims

Situations

• Someone stole from you · කවුරුහරි ඔබෙන් සොරකම් කළා · யாரோ உங்களிடம் களவாடினார்
• You were cheated out of money · ඔබව රවටා මුදල් ගත්තා · உங்களை ஏமாற்றிப் பணம் பெற்றனர்
• Someone misused money or property you trusted them with · ඔබ විශ්වාසයෙන් දුන් මුදල් හෝ දේපළ කවුරුහරි අවභාවිත කළා · நீங்கள் நம்பி ஒப்படைத்த பணம் அல்லது சொத்தை யாரோ தவறாகப் பயன்படுத்தினார்
• You were attacked or injured · ඔබට පහර දී තුවාල කළා · நீங்கள் தாக்கப்பட்டு காயமடைந்தீர்கள்
• Someone threatened you · කවුරුහරි ඔබට තර්ජනය කළා · யாரோ உங்களை அச்சுறுத்தினார்
• Domestic violence at home · නිවසේ ගෘහස්ථ ප්‍රචණ්ඩත්වය · வீட்டில் வீட்டு வன்முறை
• Someone sexually harassed you · කවුරුහරි ඔබට ලිංගික හිරිහැර කළා · யாரோ உங்களைப் பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தல் செய்தார்
• Someone has an illegal gun or bomb · කෙනෙකු ළඟ නීති විරෝධී තුවක්කුවක් හෝ බෝම්බයක් ඇත · ஒருவரிடம் சட்டவிரோதத் துப்பாக்கி அல்லது குண்டு உள்ளது
• Caught with drugs · මත්ද්‍රව්‍ය සමඟ අසු වුණා · போதைப்பொருளுடன் பிடிபட்டீர்கள்
• Someone asked you for a bribe · කවුරුහරි ඔබෙන් අල්ලසක් ඉල්ලුවා · யாரோ உங்களிடம் இலஞ்சம் கேட்டார்
• You are a crime victim or witness and need protection · ඔබ අපරාධ වින්දිතයෙකු හෝ සාක්ෂිකරුවෙකු ලෙස ආරක්ෂාව අවශ්‍යයි · நீங்கள் குற்றத்தால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர் அல்லது சாட்சி, பாதுகாப்புத் தேவை
• Rape and sexual violence against adults · වැඩිහිටියන්ට එරෙහි ස්ත්‍රී දූෂණය සහ ලිංගික හිංසනය · வயதுவந்தோருக்கு எதிரான வன்புணர்வு மற்றும் பாலியல் வன்முறை
• Murder and culpable homicide · මිනීමැරීම සහ සාපරාධී මිනීමැරුම · கொலை மற்றும் குற்றமுறு மனிதக்கொலை
• Death caused by negligence · නොසැලකිලිමත්කමින් සිදුවූ මරණය · கவனக்குறைவால் ஏற்பட்ட மரணம்
• Abortion law · ගබ්සා නීතිය · கருக்கலைப்புச் சட்டம்
• Human trafficking · මිනිස් ජාවාරම · மனிதக் கடத்தல்
• Illicit liquor (kasippu) · නීතිවිරෝධී මත්පැන් (කසිප්පු) · சட்டவிரோத மதுபானம் (கசிப்பு)
• Gambling and betting · සූදුව සහ ඔට්ටු · சூதாட்டம் மற்றும் பந்தயம்
• Firecrackers and explosives · රතිඤ්ඤා සහ පුපුරණ ද්‍රව්‍ය · பட்டாசுகள் மற்றும் வெடிபொருட்கள்
• Same-sex relations: the current law · සමලිංගික සබඳතා: වත්මන් නීතිය · ஒரே பாலின உறவுகள்: தற்போதைய சட்டம்
• Illegal assets can be confiscated · නීතිවිරෝධී වත්කම් රාජසන්තක කළ හැක · சட்டவிரோதச் சொத்துகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்படலாம்
• Money laundering · මුදල් විශුද්ධිකරණය · பணமோசடி (பணச் சலவை)
• Curfews and emergency rules · ඇඳිරි නීතිය සහ හදිසි රෙගුලාසි · ஊரடங்குச் சட்டமும் அவசரகால விதிகளும்
• Community service and probation instead of jail · සිරදඬුවම වෙනුවට ප්‍රජා සේවය සහ පරිවාසය · சிறைக்குப் பதிலாக சமூக சேவையும் நன்னடத்தையும்

Acts, ordinances and regulations

• Penal Code (Ordinance No. 2 of 1883) — Main criminal law. Defines offences like theft, robbery, cheating, hurt and intimidation, and their punishments.
• Penal Code (Amendment) Act, No. 22 of 1995 — Made sexual harassment a crime (s. 345) and redefined grievous hurt (s. 311).
• Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979 — Sets out how complaints, arrests, investigations, bail and criminal trials work.
• Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, No. 34 of 2005 — Lets victims of domestic violence get protection orders from the Magistrate's Court.
• Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act, No. 10 of 2023 — Gives victims and witnesses rights, protection and compensation. Replaced the 2015 Act (No. 4 of 2015).
• Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Chapter 218) — Bans possessing, using, selling, trafficking and making dangerous drugs without lawful authority.
• Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, No. 41 of 2022 — Added methamphetamine (ice): 5 g or more can bring death or life imprisonment. Limits pre-trial detention; treatment option for under 1 g.
• Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, No. 7 of 2026 — New 2026 law: drug manufacturing and trafficking on Sri Lankan or stateless ships on the high seas are offences.
• Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023 — Main bribery and corruption law. Replaced the Bribery Act. CIABOC investigates and prosecutes; protects informers and whistleblowers.
• Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill (gazetted 2026, not yet law when checked) — Proposes extra fines of three times corrupt gains and stricter bail. Check if passed.
• Offensive Weapons Act, No. 18 of 1966 — Bans making, keeping or using bombs, grenades and similar devices without lawful authority.
• Firearms Ordinance (as amended in 1996) — Guns need a licence. Sets heavy penalties for unlicensed guns and for using guns in crimes.
• Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024 — Creates online offences such as online cheating and posting private information to harass. Online Safety Commission takes complaints.
• Mediation Boards Act, No. 72 of 1988 — Some minor offences must first go to a Mediation Board. Court needs a certificate of non-settlement.
• Excise Ordinance — Controls making, possessing, transporting and selling liquor, including illicit liquor such as kasippu.
• Gaming Ordinance — Makes keeping a common gaming place and gaming in public places offences.
• Casino Business (Regulation) Act — Allows casinos to operate only with a licence issued under the Act.
• Betting and Gaming Levy Act — Requires betting and gaming businesses to register and pay a levy to the State.
• Explosives Act — Requires a licence to make, store, sell or transport explosives, including fireworks.
• Proceeds of Crime Act, No. 5 of 2025 — Lets the State trace, freeze and confiscate property gained from crime, with or without a conviction. In force from 1 June 2025.
• Prevention of Money Laundering Act, No. 5 of 2006 — Makes money laundering a High Court offence and allows police to freeze accounts and courts to forfeit property.
• Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006 — Requires banks and other institutions to identify customers and report large cash and suspicious transactions to the Financial Intelligence Unit.
• Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40) — Lets the President declare emergencies, make emergency regulations and order curfews by Gazette.
• Community-based Corrections Act, No. 46 of 1999 — Lets courts order supervised community work and other conditions instead of prison for less serious offences.
• Probation of Offenders Ordinance — Lets courts release an offender on probation, under a probation officer, for one to three years.