National Environmental (Amendment) Act 2026 · As enacted
7. Amendment of section 12 of the principal enactment
Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
Section 12 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the addition immediately after subsection (2) of that section of the following new subsections:-
“(3) Where the respective local authority fails to comply with or contravenes the provisions of the Act or any direction given to it under subsection (1), the
Chairman or the Director-General of the Authority may make an application to the Magistrate having jurisdiction. Every such application shall be supported by an affidavit of the Chairman or the Director-General together with a ‘Directive for Enforcement’ by which instructions are given to such local authority to comply with the directions of the Authority given to it.
Where the Magistrate is satisfied upon an inquiry that the alleged failure on the part of the local authority did in fact take place, the Magistrate shall issue an order directing the respective local authority to comply with the Directive for Enforcement. The order shall specify the period of time as is necessary for such compliance.
Every Directive for Enforcement shall be admissible in evidence and shall be prima facie proof of the facts stated therein.
Where the respective local authority fails or neglects to comply with such order, such authority shall be guilty of an offence under section 23RR”.