A guest lecture organized by the Center for Study of Media and Human Rights (CSMHR) at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Kelaniya, was held on 3rd May 2023 at the Social Sciences Faculty Auditorium. This guest lecture was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated around the world annually on 3rd May.
Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, the president's counsel, was invited as the guest lecturer, and he delivered the lecture under the theme of 'Freedom of Expression, Law and Regulation.' His guest lecture covered some broad areas, sharing his knowledge and experience on various topics such as Liberty and the Constitution, Freedom of Speech and Expression, Constitutional Provisions, International Law, Hate Speech, Restrictions, and Regulations. At the end of the lecture, the audience raised some valuable questions on how the new Anti-Terrorists Bill in Sri Lanka could affect the professions in the Sri Lankan media industry and the responsibility and accountability of media professionals in protecting the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression.
The Head of the Mass Communication Department, Senior Lecturer Wijayananda Rupasinghe, graced the event by delivering the welcome speech, and Senior Lecturer Dinithi Jayasekara delivered the introduction speech of the guest speaker. All the staff members of the department and undergraduates were present at the event. The event was concluded with a vote of thanks from Lecturer (Probationary) Dasini I. Madurasinghe, Coordinator of CSMHR.
