Community service instead of jail? Sri Lanka proposes new legal changes

The Sri Lankan government has proposed amendments to the Community Based Corrections Act to strengthen the supervision of offenders, introduce new procedures for community service orders and increase penalties for violations.

The Community Based Corrections (Amendment) Bill, published in a Gazette supplement issued on October 13, 2026, seeks to amend the Community Based Corrections Act, No. 46 of 1999.

Under the proposed legislation, courts will be required to refer eligible offenders to a community corrections officer, who will explain the benefits of a community-based correction order before the offender decides whether to consent.

Offenders will be given a continuous period of 48 hours to communicate their decision to the court, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

The bill also proposes increasing the maximum fine under Section 14 of the existing Act from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 25,000.

Another significant change is the introduction of a revised schedule specifying the number of hours offenders may be required to perform unpaid community work, depending on the length of imprisonment or the amount of the fine involved.

Under the proposed schedule:

* Offenders facing imprisonment of one year or more may be assigned 200 to 300 hours of unpaid community work over one year.

* Those facing imprisonment of six months to less than one year may be assigned 100 to 200 hours over six months.

* Those facing imprisonment of less than six months may be assigned 50 to 100 hours over three months.

* Offenders facing a fine of Rs. 50,000 may be assigned 200 to 300 hours of community work over two years.

* Those facing fines below Rs. 20,000 may be assigned 50 to 75 hours over three months.

The amendments also provide for the appointment of community corrections officers, who will be responsible for supervising offenders, conducting inquiries and assisting courts in implementing community-based correction orders.

The proposed legislation was ordered to be published by the Minister of Justice and National Integration.

The amendments remain proposals under the published bill and will require parliamentary approval before becoming law. (Newswire)

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