SC rules no formal determination needed on “Protection of Occupants” and “Rent Repeal” bills
February 17, 2026 09:50 am
The Supreme Court has decided that there is no necessity to make a formal determination regarding the bills titled “Protection of Occupants” and “Rent Repeal”, which had been challenged under Article 121.1 of the Constitution, Speaker of the House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne stated in Parliament today (17).
He said that, based on an undertaking given to the Attorney General by the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice on 6 February, the bills will not proceed in their present form. Instead, they will be referred to an expert committee for consideration, and appropriate steps will be taken to present them as new bills.
The petitioners have withdrawn their petitions, prompting the Supreme Court to conclude that a formal determination under Article 121.3 of the Constitution was unnecessary.
The Speaker added that he had ordered the Supreme Court’s decision to be printed in the official report of today’s proceedings.
