Taking the profit out of crime ‐ Sri Lankan style

Reviews Sri Lanka’s long past encounters with terrorism, including the suicide bombing of 1996 which killed thousands and left the economy in a shambles. Outlines the Sri Lankan Code of Criminal Procedure, concluding that it falls far short of UK law in preventing terrorist financiers enjoy the profits of their crimes. Moves on to civil enforcement; Sri Lankan Common Law is based on Roman Dutch rather than English law. Gives examples of legal cases involving restitution, plus a list of eight situations where restitution will be available despite the illegal nature of the transaction, and concludes that civil enforcement law is highly inadequate against contemporary criminal activity. Moves on to the draft Money Laundering bill, which has been debated since 1995 and makes money laundering an offence; despite the long gestation, the bill should able to meet the challenges posed by profitable criminal activity.