in children and adoption. (S. 360 D). It is an offence to “recruit a woman or couple to bear a child,” thus prohibiting surrogacy, but exclusively for the purpose of placing a child in adoption. (S. 360 D (iii)). Falsification of birth registration or records for adoption, procuring children from hospitals and other defined child care or welfare centres for money or other consideration by intimidation of the mother, is now a criminal offence. (S. 360 D (iv) and (v)). Impersonalisation of the mother or assistance to her to impersonate for purposes of adoption is also an offence (S. 360 D (vi)). Obtaining the consent of a pregnant woman for money or other consideration for the adoption of an unborn child is an offence. (S. 360 D (ii)). These are all grave offences with severe punishments. Emergency Contraception and Blood Tests Emergency contraception is available in medical forensic procedures for cases of rape. As observed blood tests for STD and HIV require consent and there are issues of privacy. (See Annex). II. PROCEDURAL LAW Sri Lanka’s legal system following English law received in the colonial period treats criminal justice and civil law procedures differently. It has different principles of law applicable to criminal and civil trial procedures. Commissions established by law may also investigate, inquire and take action (e.g. the Bribery Commission and the Human Rights Commission). The 19th Amendment now requires Parliament to enact a new law or Act to establish a Bribery Commission. These different procedures can impact in cases involving GBV and Reproductive Rights. The criminal trial and prosecution procedures in Sri Lanka are set out in the colonial Code of Criminal Procedure Act (1979) with many amendments. Civil trial procedures are set out in the Civil Procedure Code with amendments, and are completely different. In cases of Domestic Violence the provisions in the Domestic Violence Act (2005) apply. (See Annex). a. The Criminal Trial and Procedures (i) Pretrial Investigations can be conducted by the Police on complaints. In many countries in South Asia there is a formal record of complaints called “the First Information Report.” Sri Lanka procedures record complaints in the incident book at police stations and there are complaints regarding this process, resulting in public dissatisfaction. (Punkuditivu Case, Kayts 2015; see literature referred to in Annex). It is also alleged that there is often no privacy for women when they make complaints of physical or sexual violence unless there is a special Women and Children’s unit in a police station. The police has the power to refer minor offences (eg. assault) to Mediation Boards that will try to settle the case. The police is sometimes criticized for inappropriately trying to settle and mediate, in cases of intra-family violence, when women want to use the provisions of the law to get legal relief, especially under the new Domestic Violence Act [See Annex for literature]. This can create a public perception that sexual and domestic violence is not taken seriously by the Police, even though the law considers this conduct grave crimes, and a violation of a woman’s human rights regarding her body. In criminal trials the first important point of contact for the trial procedure is the examination by a 26 COMPENDIUM ON LAW, GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS