States of Emergency - Centre for Policy Alternatives

suppressing opposition aimed at such violation or at perpetuating
repressive practices against its population.”
The stipulations of the Siracusa Principles and other sources of
international standards regarding states of emergency and human
rights protection will be discussed further below.
6.4
Sri
Lanka’s
International
Obligations:
ICCPR
Sri Lanka acceded to the ICCPR on 11 th June 1980 (entry into force
11 th September 1980). At the time of accession, it made a
declaration recognising the competence of the treaty body, the
Human Rights Committee, under Article 41 (i.e., the Inter‐State
Complaints Procedure). Sri Lanka made a second declaration and
acceded to the First Optional Protocol (i.e., the Individual
Complaints Procedure) recognising the competence of the
Committee to entertain complaints by individuals subject to its
jurisdiction on 3 rd October 1997 (entry into force 3 rd January
1998). No other reservations or objections have been entered by
Sri Lanka. The ICCPR is thus part of the international obligations
of Sri Lanka, while controversy prevails as to where it stands in
respect of the First Optional Protocol following the judgment of
the Supreme Court in the case of Singarasa
 v.
 Attorney
 General
(2006). 343
In addition to the substantive rights contained in Part III of the
ICCPR, States Parties are bound by the overarching provisions of
the Convention, of which Part II is of signiLicance for this
discussion. Article 2, which has been described as a fundamental
343
Singarasa
v.
Attorney
General
 (2006) S.C. Spl(LA) No. 182/99; decided
on 15 th September 2006
222