Page 90 - KDU Law Journal Volume 4 Issue 2

Volume 04 Issue II
September, 2024
KDU Law Journal ISSN 2783 - 8870
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka

Examining the Consequences of Corporal
Punishment on Children in Sri Lanka: A Study
of Child Rights and Legal Frameworks
Danushka Manoj *
Wasana Panditharatne **
Geethani Jeewanthi ***
Abstract
Corporal Punishment is a controversial issue globally, and Sri Lanka is not
an exception. Although the government of Sri Lanka has introduced various
legislative measures to prohibit Corporal Punishment, it is still widely used as
a disciplinary measure in homes, schools, and other institutions. This research
article aims to examine the legal perspective of Corporal Punishment in Sri
Lanka, including the existing laws and their implementation. The article also
explores the implications of Corporal Punishment on children’s physical and
mental health, education, and human rights. The research has been carried
out by analyzing existing literature subjective to qualitative analysis. Primary
legal sources such as constitutional provisions, legislative enactments,
Conventions and decided case laws have been used for the analysis. Further,
journal articles, books, policy papers and writings of the highest authorities
in the field, and other observations made on the subject by reputed scholars
have been used as secondary sources to enhance the outcome of this research.
The research findings suggest that despite the legal prohibition, corporal
punishment remains prevalent in Sri Lanka due to various socio-cultural

∗ M.Phil. (SUSL), MHR (Colombo), LL.B.Hons (Colombo), Attorney-at-Law, Senior
Lecturer, Department of Legal studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The
Open University of Sri Lanka.
∗∗ LL.M. (Colombo), LL.M. (KDU), LL.B. (Colombo), PgDLS (Colombo), Attorney-at-Law,
Senior Lecturer, Department of Legal studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
The Open University of Sri Lanka.
∗∗∗ LL.M. (Colombo), LL.B. Hons. (Colombo), PgD in Criminology and Criminal Justice
(USJP), Attorney-at-Law, Senior Lecturer, Department of Legal studies, Faculty of Humanities
and Social Sciences, The Open University of Sri Lanka.
law.faculty@kdu.ac.lk
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