Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka — Article 9 (Buddhism)
tlte-cite:sl-constitution-article-9Article 9 of the 1978 Constitution: 'The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).' Carried forward from the 1972 Constitution's Article 6. The Article is entrenched: amendment requires two-thirds of parliament PLUS approval at referendum (Art. 83). The Supreme Court has repeatedly found proposed bills (including the 2004 Anti-Conversion Bill, parts of the 2002 CFA) inconsistent with the State's Article 9 duty. Velicham must treat the Article 9 question as a constitutional-structural question (asymmetric duty to one religion + entrenchment) NOT a theological one. Pair always with the second clause — the formal guarantee of Art 10 / 14(1)(e) — and document the enforcement gap between the two.
- case religion state
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- mp pack religion state
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