Newspapers (Amendment)

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

1. This Act may be cited as the Newspapers (Amendment) Act, No. 25 of 1983.

2. Section 2 of the Newspapers Ordinance (hereinafter referred to as “the principal enactment'”) is hereby amended by the substitution for the expression ” he shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction after summary trial before a Magistrate, be liable to imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding one year, or to a fine not exceeding one thousand rupees, or to both such imprisonment and fine. “, of the expression ” he shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding two years, or to a fine not exceeding five thousand rupees, or to both such imprisonment and fine. “.

3. Section 3 of the principal enactment section 3 of the is hereby amended by the substitution for the expression ” every person in any such case offending shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit for every such act done the sum of five hundred rupees for every day on which any such newspaper shall be printed or published,”, of the expression ” every person in any such case offending shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit for every such act done the sum of two thousand five hundred rupees for every day on which any such newspaper shall be printed or published, “.

4. Section 6 of the principal enactment is hereby amended by the substitution for the expression ” every such person shall on conviction thereof forfeit for any and every such offence the sum of two hundred rupees.”, of the expression ” every such person shall on conviction thereof forfeit for any and every such offence the sum of one thousand rupees.”.

5. Section 7 of the principal enactment is hereby amended in subsection (1) of that section by the substitution, for the expression ” and every printer and publisher of such newspaper who shall neglect to deliver or cause to be delivered in manner hereinbefore directed such copy or copies signed as aforesaid shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit for every such neglect the sum of two hundred rupees,”, of the expression ” and every printer and publisher of such newspaper who shall neglect to deliver or cause to be delivered in manner hereinbefore directed such copy or copies signed as aforesaid shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit for every such neglect the sum of one thousand rupees during the first week of such neglect and an additional sum of two hundred rupees for every subsequent day thereafter;”,