Labour Tribunal presidents given more judicial powers

Presidents of labour tribunals are to get more judicial powers equivalent to Additional Magistrates to hear, try, determine and dispose of all suits or prosecutions, according to a Special Provisions Bill introduced under the Industrial Disputes Act.

The Bill was submitted by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as Minister of Economic Policies and Plan Implementation on April 8.

Accordingly, the jurisdiction of a president of a labour tribunal shall be subjected to the provisions of subsection (3), "be limited to a judicial division of a Magistrate’s Court as may be demarcated under subsection (3) of section 5 of the Judicature Act, No. 2 of 1978 where the labour tribunal is situated," the Bill added.

However, the Bill further added that the Magistrate’s Court will continue to exercise such powers as specified in the specified enactments in any judicial division of the Magistrate’s Court.

The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No 15 of 1979 and Evidence Ordinance (Chapter 14) will be applicable to and in relation to the procedure to hear, try, determine and dispose of the suits or prosecutions before the labour tribunal.