BE it enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as follows;-

1. This Act may be cited as the Code of Criminal procedure (Amendment) Act, No. 19 of 1997.

2. Section 303 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979 (hereinafter referred to as the " principal enactment ") is hereby amended in subsection (1) of that section, by the substitution for the words " is a mandatory sentence of imprisonment, ", of the words " is a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment, ".

3. The First Schedule to the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows :-

(1) by the omission, from Column 8 of that Schedule of the words " Magistrate's Court " appearing in the entries in that Column, corresponding to the entries in Column 1 of that Schedule, relating respectively, to sections 286A, 308A, 360A, 360B, 360C, 364, 364A and 365B ;

(2) by the repeal of all the entries relating to section 365 and the substitution therefor of the following entries :-

" 365 Unnatural same imprisonment Magistrate offences of either description up to ten years and fine Court"

If the offence same Rigorous Imprisonment is committed by a person over eighteen years of age for not less than ten years and not in respect of a exceeding person under and twenty years and fine compensation. sixteen years of age.

(3) by the repeal of all the entries relating to section 365A and the substitution therefor of the following entries ;-

"365A Act of same Imprisonment Magistrate's gross idecency of either description up to by one person with another two years or with fine or with both Court"

If the offence same Rigorous Imprisonment is committed by a person over eighteen years of age for not less than ten years and not in respect of a exceeding person under and twenty years and fine compensation. sixteen years of age.

4. In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.