Convention against Doping in Sport (Amendment) Act 2025

This Act may be cited as the Convention against

Doping in Sport (Amendment) Act, No. 21 of 2025.

Section 2 of the Convention against Doping in Sport

Act, No. 33 of 2013 (in this Act referred to as the ‟principal enactment”) is hereby amended in paragraph (e) of that section, by the substitution for the words “Sri Lanka or abroad.”, of the words “Sri Lanka.”.

Part I of the principal enactment is hereby repealed.

Section 5 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows: -

by the repeal of subsection (1) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -

in subsection (2) of that section, by the substitution for the words “an application not less than thirty days”, of the words “an application as soon as possible, and for substances prohibited in-competition only, not less than thirty days”

Section 6 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the repeal of subsections (2), (3), (4) and (5) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsections:-

“(2) (a) The TUE Committee shall consist of not less than three members who shall be persons having experience in clinical, sports and exercise medicine.

One of the said members shall be a representative of the Consultant in Sports Medicine of the Ministry of the Minister assigned the subject of Health.

The members shall, at the point of being appointed, disclose any conflict of interest which may exist. The Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency established under section 10, shall thereupon take steps to appoint another person in place of such member.

Upon receipt of an application for review under subsection (1), the TUE Committee shall consider such application along with the evidence and documents in support of the TUE and make a decision either granting or refusing the grant of the TUE requested by the athlete.

In arriving at its decision, the TUE

The TUE Committee shall communicate its decision to the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency assigning reasons for such decision.”.

Section 7 of the principal enactment is hereby repealed and the following section is substituted therefor: -

7. (1) The Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency shall forthwith communicate the decision of the TUE Committee to the athlete.

The TUE shall set out clearly the prohibited substance or prohibited method in respect of which the TUE is granted and the period for which such exemption is so granted, along with any other conditions.

Any person aggrieved by the decision of the TUE Committee under section 6 may prefer an appeal to the Appeal Panel appointed under section 26.”.

A TUE granted in accordance with the provisions of this Part shall not be applicable, where -

the athlete does not comply with the requirements or conditions subject to which the TUE has been granted;

the period for which the TUE was granted has expired; or

the decision of the TUE Committee is reversed as per the rules.”.

Section 12 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the repeal of paragraph (b) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following paragraph: -

“(b) to take measures against anti-doping rule violations;”.

The following new heading is hereby inserted immediately above section 13 of the principal enactment: -

“PART IIIa

Constitution of the Board of Governors”.

Section 13 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows:-

by the repeal of subsection (1) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -

in subsection (2) of that section, by the substitution for the word “administering”, of the word “overseeing”;

by the repeal of the marginal note to that section and the substitution therefor, of the following marginal note: -

Section 14 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the repeal of subsections (1) and (2) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsections: -

“(1) The Board shall consist of the following: -

ex-officio members, namely-

an officer not below the rank of

the Director-General of Health

the

an officer not below the rank of

an officer not below the rank of

two members distinguished in the field of law, medicine or sports science having a minimum of fifteen years of experience, appointed by the Minister (in this

The Minister shall appoint one of the appointed members as the Chairman of the Board on the recommendation of the majority decision of the ex-officio members of the Board. The Chairman so appointed shall hold office for a term of three years and shall be eligible for reappointment.”.

Section 15 of the principal enactment is hereby repealed.

Section 16 of the principal enactment is hereby repealed.

Section 17 of the principal enactment is hereby amended in subsection (2) of that section, by the substitution for the words “The Minister may if he considers it expedient to do so, remove,”, of the words “If the majority of the members of the Board considers it expedient to do so, the

Board may remove,”.

Section 18 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows:-

in subsection (4) of that section, by the substitution for the word “four”, of the word

in subsection (5) of that section, by the substitution for the words “with the approval of the Minister,”, of the words “with the approval of the majority of the members of the Board,”;

by the repeal of subsection (6) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -

Section 19 of the principal enactment is hereby repealed.

Section 20 of the principal enactment is hereby repealed.

Section 22 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows:-

in subsection (1) of that section, by the substitution for the words “in the field of medicine or sports medicine”, of the words “in the field of medicine, law, sports administration or sports science”; and

by the repeal of subsection (2) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -

The following new heading is hereby inserted immediately above section 23 of the principal enactment: -

“PART IIIb

Establishment of Committees and Panels to conduct hearings of Anti-Doping Rule Violations”.

Section 23 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows:-

in subsection (1) of that section-

by the repeal of subsection (2) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -

by the addition immediately after subsection (2)

The Chairman shall appoint the other members of a Disciplinary Panel which shall not exceed three members including the Chair-man.

PART IV of the principal enactment is hereby repealed and the following PART is substituted therefor: -

Act, No. 21 of 2025

“PART IV

Disciplinary procedure and appeals procedure in relation to Anti-Doping

Rule Violations

24.

rule

On fulfilling the pre-adjudication procedures established under the rules, the

Agency, on being satisfied based on evidential information, may assert that an athlete or other

Person has committed an anti-doping rule violation set out in the rules.

25.

Agency

The Agency shall notify in writing any assertion made under section 24 to the relevant athlete or other Person. The Agency shall also inform the respective foreign national anti-doping body when applicable, the International Federation, the National

Where the Agency makes such an assertion and the athlete or other Person does not waive the right to a hearing within the time provided to do so under the rules, the Agency shall notify the Disciplinary Panel appointed under section 23 and request that a hearing be conducted in accordance with the guidelines specified under the rules.

The Agency shall forward to the

The Disciplinary Panel shall, after considering all documents and evidence, make a decision and communicate such decision to the Agency and to the athlete or athlete support personnel.

The athlete or other Person who is alleged to have committed the anti-doping rule violation asserted under subsection (1), may appeal to the Appeal Panel appointed under section 26.

The Minister shall appoint a pool of six members who have distinguished themselves in the field of law or medicine, to constitute the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (in this Act referred to as the “Appeal Panel”).

The Appeal Panel shall hear and determine any appeal made to it in accordance with the rules.

Where a decision of the Disciplinary

Where no other party has appealed against a decision of the Disciplinary Panel under subsection (1), the World Anti-Doping

(a) An appeal to the Appeal Panel under subsection (1) shall be made in accordance with the rules.

An appeal to the Appeal Panel by the

The decisions of the Appeal

It shall be the duty of the Agency to provide the relevant information to any party referred to in subsection (1) if the Court of

Section 28 of the principal enactment is hereby amended in paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of that section, by the substitution for the words “whether in or outside Sri

Lanka.” of the following: -

“whether in or outside Sri Lanka:

Provided however, the Agency shall obtain prior written approval of the Department of

External Resources in respect of all foreign donations, gifts or grants.”.

The following new sections are hereby inserted immediately after section 31 of the principal enactment and shall have effect as sections 31a and 31b of that enactment: -

31a. The Agency shall be deemed to be a Scheduled Institution, within the meaning of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, and the provisions of that Act shall be construed accordingly.

31b. All members, officers and other employees of the Agency shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning, and for the purposes, of the Penal Code (Chapter 19).”.

“Agency deemed to be a Scheduled

Institution within the meaning of the Anti-Corruption

Act.

Consequences of an adverse decision by the

Appeal Panel.

Members, officers and other employees of the Agency deemed to be public servants.

Act, No. 21 of 2025

Section 33 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the repeal of subsection (1) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -

“(1) The Agency shall make rules to implement the applicable provisions of the World Anti-Doping

Code within its powers, duties and functions.”.

Section 34 of the principal enactment is hereby amended in subsection (3) of that section, by the substitution for the words “not later than sixty days”, of the words “not later than ninety days”.

Section 36 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows: -

by the insertion immediately after the definition of the expression “athlete”, of the following new definition: -

by the repeal of the definition of the expression

by the repeal of the definition of the expression

by the insertion immediately after the definition of the expression “competition”, of the following new definition:-

by the repeal of the definition of the expression

by the repeal of the definition of the expression

by the repeal of the definitions of the expressions

by the addition immediately after the definition of the expression “World Anti-Doping Agency

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act, all suits, prosecutions, actions, proceedings, matters or things which have been instituted in, and are pending before the

High Court of Sri Lanka holden in Colombo or the High

Court of the Province established under Article 154P of the

Constitution for the Western Province holden in Colombo on the day immediately preceding the date of commencement of this Act shall be heard under the provisions of the Act under which such was instituted and be concluded by such Court.

Act, No. 21 of 2025

In the event of any inconsistency between the

Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.

Act, No. 21 of 2025