National State Assembly

The National State Assembly was the legislative body of Sri Lanka created by the country's First Republican Constitution in May 1972. It replaced the Parliament of Ceylon, the legislature established under the constitutional arrangements associated with the Soulbury Commission, and marked a fundamental change in the country's constitutional order after independence. The new institution was designed within a republican framework and was presented by the United Front Government, led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, as an expression of popular sovereignty and a vehicle for strengthening the authority of the elected government. Unlike the earlier bicameral Parliament of Ceylon, the National State Assembly was unicameral. It initially comprised the 151 elected members who had previously served in the House of Representatives; the Senate had already been abolished in 1971. A subsequent constitutional amendment increased the Assembly's membership to 168. The institution therefore combined legislative continuity with a substantial restructuring of the state, replacing the former parliamentary model with a legislature operating under the republican constitution. The 1972 constitutional framework gave the Assembly broad powers. Laws passed by it could not be challenged by the courts for constitutional validity, and the judiciary had no authority to invalidate legislation on that basis. Acts remained in force unless and until the Assembly itself repealed them. This arrangement removed important judicial restraints and contributed to the concentration of political authority in the legislature and the government supported by it. The constitution also placed the judiciary and the civil service under stronger political influence than under the previous system. The Assembly's constitutional environment reflected the ideological priorities of the United Front administration. Socialist principles were incorporated into the constitutional order, while Sinhala and Buddhism received a formally pre-eminent position. These provisions helped define the political character of the early Sri Lankan republic, but they also formed part of a wider centralization of state power and a reduction in institutional checks and balances. The National State Assembly operated through the remainder of the 1972 constitutional period and experienced a change in its presiding leadership after the 1977 general election. Stanley Tillekeratne served as Speaker from 1972 to 1977, followed by Anandatissa de Alwis from 1977 to 1978. I. A. Cader served as Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees from 1972 to 1977, followed by Mohammed Abdul Bakeer Markar from 1977 to 1978. The Assembly ceased to exist when Sri Lanka adopted its current Constitution on 7 September 1978. That constitution replaced it with the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The National State Assembly is therefore a historical constitutional institution rather than an active legislature, commercial organization, or consumer-facing brand.

The National State Assembly emerged from Sri Lanka's transition from the Dominion-era constitutional system to a republican state. The Parliament of Ceylon, established through the Soulbury constitutional arrangements, had operated with two chambers. The Senate was abolished in 1971, leaving the elected House of Representatives as the principal legislative body before the new constitution was enacted. In May 1972, the First Republican Constitution created the National State Assembly and formally replaced the earlier parliamentary structure. The Assembly was unicameral and initially inherited the 151 elected members of the former House of Representatives. Its constitutional purpose was not merely to continue the work of the previous legislature, but to express a new understanding of state sovereignty. The United Front Government under Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike characterized the republican settlement as an assertion of the sovereignty of the people and gave the legislature a central role in the new political order. The Assembly's powers were significantly broader than those of a legislature subject to strong constitutional review. Courts were denied the authority to question whether legislation enacted by the Assembly complied with the constitution. An enactment remained effective until repealed by the Assembly itself. This arrangement placed the legislature and the governing political majority in a particularly powerful position and limited the ability of the judiciary to act as a check on legislative decisions. The first amendment to the constitution increased the Assembly's membership from its original 151 members to 168. The 1972 constitutional order also embedded major ideological and institutional changes. Socialist principles were given a constitutional foundation, and Sinhala and Buddhism were assigned a pre-eminent position. At the same time, the judiciary and the civil service became more directly exposed to political control. These features made the Assembly an important instrument of the new republican state, while also making it part of a constitutional system criticized for concentrating authority and weakening independent institutions. The National State Assembly continued until the constitutional reorganization of 1978. On 7 September 1978, Sri Lanka adopted a new constitution that replaced the Assembly with the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The change ended the National State Assembly's existence as the national legislature. Its historical significance lies in its role as the principal law-making institution of the first Sri Lankan republic and in the way its constitutional framework reshaped the relationship between parliament, courts, public administration, and national identity.

• 1978

  Replaced by the Parliament of Sri Lanka

  [1]National State Assemblyen.wikipedia.org

  Sri Lanka's Constitution adopted on 7 September 1978 abolished the National State Assembly and replaced it with the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

• 1972

  First Republican Constitution creates the Assembly

  [1]National State Assemblyen.wikipedia.org

  In May 1972, Sri Lanka's First Republican Constitution established the National State Assembly and replaced the Parliament of Ceylon.

• 1972

  Assembly begins with 151 elected members

  [1]National State Assemblyen.wikipedia.org

  The new unicameral legislature initially consisted of the 151 elected members inherited from the former House of Representatives.

• 1971

  Abolition of the Senate

  [1]National State Assemblyen.wikipedia.org

  The Senate was abolished before the republican constitution was enacted, clearing the way for the subsequent unicameral legislative structure.

• Membership expanded to 168

  [1]National State Assemblyen.wikipedia.org

  A constitutional amendment increased the number of National State Assembly members from 151 to 168.

A republican, unicameral national legislature intended to embody popular sovereignty and provide the institutional framework for Sri Lanka's post-1972 constitutional order.

• 1978

  Transition to the Parliament of Sri LankaStrategy

  Background

  Sri Lanka adopted a new constitution that reorganized the country's constitutional institutions.

  Action taken

  The National State Assembly was abolished and replaced by the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

  Aftermath

  The National State Assembly became a historical institution and the new Parliament became Sri Lanka's national legislature.

  Source

• 1972

  Adoption of a republican legislative frameworkStrategy

  Background

  The United Front Government sought to replace the former Soulbury-based parliamentary arrangement with a constitutional system grounded in republican sovereignty.

  Action taken

  The First Republican Constitution established a unicameral National State Assembly with broad legislative authority and removed the former bicameral structure.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement strengthened the legislature and governing majority but reduced judicial review and contributed to greater political control over the judiciary and civil service.

  Source

1. 1National State Assemblyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Constitutional Reforms Since Independencegov.lk