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The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
(2) Any party or applicant or any person legally entitled
to represent such party or applicant may initiate proceedings
and submit to court pleadings and other documents and
participate in the proceedings in courts, 11[in either Sinhala or
Tamil.]
(3) Any judge, juror, party or applicant or any
person legally entitled to represent such party or applicant, who
is not conversant with the language used in a court, shall be
entitled to interpretation and to translation into 12[Sinhala or
Tamil]
by the State, to
him to
and
participate in the proceedings before such court and shall also
be entitled to obtain in 13[such language] any such part of the
record or a translation thereof, as the case may be, as he may be
entitled to obtain according to law.
(4) The Minister in charge of the subject of Justice
may, with the concurrence of the Cabinet of Ministers, issue,
directions permitting 14[the use of English] in or in relation to
the records and proceedings in any court for all purposes or for
such purposes as may be specified therein. Every judge shall be
bound to implement such directions.
(5) In this Article –
“Court” means any court or tribunal created and
established for the administration of justice including the
adjudication and settlement of industrial and other disputes, or
any other tribunal or institution exercising judicial or
quasi-judicial functions or any tribunal or institution created
and established for the conciliation and settlement of disputes;
"judge” includes the President, Chairman, Presiding Officer
and member of any court; and
“record” includes Pleadings, Judgments, Orders and Other
judicial and Ministerial acts
Provision for
adequate facilities
for use of
languages provided
for in this Chapter
11 12 13 14 -
25. The State shall provide adequate facilities for the use
of the languages provided for in this Chapter.
Substituted by the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 4(2) for “in either of the National Languages”.
Substituted by the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 4(3) (a) for “the appropriate National Language”.
Substituted by the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 4(3)(b) for “either of the National Languages.”
Substituted by the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution Sec. 4(4) for “the use of National Languages.”