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Following the Easter Sunday attacks, government insisted that previously brought controversial Counter Terrorism Act (CTA) needs to be brought again. On 28th April, issuing a special statement Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said that CTA currently at the parliamentary committee should be implemented without a delay. Also on 8th May, he requested the Parliament to support the CTA to be passed soon. He argued that in order to fight with the new trends of global terrorism, existing laws are inadequate.

First gazetted in September 2018 this act came under heavy criticism of social activist, civil society groups, trade unions and political parties. As the government says this act expects to replace currently enforced No 48 of 1979 Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) – legislature which was widely criticized for its misuses such as arbitrary arrests, detaining, torture and suppression of journalists, and human rights defenders. However various organizations and collectives such as National collective of lawyers’ organizations, Inter University Student Federation (IUSF) and Free Media movement have issued statement saying CTA which provide more powers to authorities could worsen the abuse of power and suppression of civil society.