Sri Lanka, Feb. 6 -- A businessman has filed a Special Determination petition before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the proposed Protection of Occupants Bill, 2025.

The Bill, which was gazetted in September last year and tabled in Parliament recently by Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, seeks to introduce legal safeguards to prevent the arbitrary eviction of occupants from premises.

In his petition, the businessman alleges that Clauses 1 to 14 of the proposed legislation are inconsistent with Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution, which safeguard the sovereignty of the people.

The petitioner is seeking a declaration from the Supreme Court that the Bill can be enacted only with th...