16. Replacement of section 15 of the principal enactment

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

Section 15 of the principal enactment is hereby repealed and the following section substituted therefor:-

15. (1) The holder of a national identity card shall, on a request made by the

Commissioner-General or any other prescribed officer, produce that card at such time and place as shall be specified in such request, and permit it to be inspected:

Provided, however, that no person shall be deemed to have contravened the preceding provisions of this section, if his national identity card had, at the time of the alleged contravention, been lost and he has complied with the provisions of subsection (1) of section 16 relating to the reporting of such loss to the nearest police station and submitting a declaration in writing to that effect to the

Commissioner-General and the making of an application for the issue of a duplicate national identity card.

(2)

If in any prosecution against any person for an offence under this Act by reason of a contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), there is produced a certificate issued by the Commissioner-General, the Additional

Commissioner-General, a Commissioner, a

Deputy Commissioner, an Assistant

Commissioner, or a police officer of a rank not below that of Assistant Superintendent or any such public officer as may be notified for such purpose by the Minister from time to time in the Gazette, to the effect that he is satisfied that such person is the holder of national identity card, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved by such person, that such person is the holder of such card.”.

“National

Identity card to be produced when required.

Act, No. 8 of 2016

Read on from s 17