3. Amendment of section 6 of the principal enactment

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Section 6 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the insertion immediately after subsection (1)

thereof, of the following new subsections: -

“(1A) There shall be an officer assigned to each

Mediation Board area who shall be attached to the

Divisional Secretariat of the respective Divisional

Secretary’s Division. Such officer shall accept any application made to the Chairman of the Panel of

Mediators appointed for any Mediation Board Area situated within such Divisional Secretary’s Division:

Provided however, for the purposes of maintaining the secrecy, such officer shall not open any such application unless he is authorized in writing to do so by the Chairman of the Panel.

Act, No. 2 of 2024

(1B)

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), an application with regard to a dispute referred to in subsection (1), which has been made to the Chairman of the Panel of Mediators appointed for any Special Mediation Board Area under the provisions of the Mediation (Special Categories of Disputes) Act,

No. 21 of 2003, may, if such Chairman so decides, be referred to the Chairman of the Panel of Mediators, appointed for the same area under this Act.

(b)

An application referred to in paragraph (a) shall be deemed to be an application made in terms of subsection (1).”.

Read on from s 4