The applications for enrollment to a course leading to the Post-Attorney Diploma in Information & Communication Technology Law will be invited soon.

Its objectives are to provide the candidates with a comprehensive understanding of the nature and scope of the ICT Law in conjunction with the existing international legal framework including newly emerged and emerging issues and to have an insight into the current legal regime on Information & Communication Technology in Sri Lanka. The course does not require an in-depth understanding of contemporary ICT, as its primary focus is the analysis of the legal framework governing Information & Communication Technology. It has been designed for the benefit of the lawyers, both in private practice and employed, as well as for those who wish to develop a career in the fast-developing areas such as Information & Communication Technology Law.

Introduction to ICT and ICT Law, the Internet, WWW and other technologies (including governance of the Internet, its security, stability and resource management, impact on legal system including jurisdictional issues, ‘possible’ International Internet Law and salient features of the Information & Communication Technology Act No. 27 of 2003 and Act No. 33 of 2008 etc.), eCommerce, commercial contracts, digital government & authentication technologies, (including salient features of the Electronic Transactions Act No. 19 of 2006 (as amended), electronic contracts and eGovernment, electronic signatures and authentication frameworks & electronic evidence etc.), computer crimes (including salient features of the Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007 and other laws associated with cybercrime, Payment Devices Frauds Act and impact of Budapest Cybercrime Convention etc.), intellectual property in digital age [in particular copyright (including software protection, online piracy, peer-to-peer networks and databases), trademarks (including trademarks in digital age, domain names & trademarks, cyber-squatting, unfair competition-meta-tags & dispute resolution), and patents (including patents in digital age and patenting software)], commercial contracts in digital age & on-line dispute resolution (including on-line contract formation, types of on-line contracts, end-user licensing agreements, jurisdiction clauses and choice of law clauses and enforcement of on-line contracts), digital banking and regulatory framework (including current statutory landscape and digital payment solutions), data protection and privacy (including privacy in digital age, data theft, breach and hacking, social media and data privacy and liability of on-line service providers/ data intermediaries), social media and challenges (including right to free speech on digital mediums, defamation & fake news in cyber space etc.), and new vistas (including smart phones, artificial intelligence, robotics, introduction to virtual worlds-on-line gaming and on-line avatars-, converting real money to virtual currency in virtual worlds, regulatory challenges to deal with new technologies and ethics in the digital age). Attention will be paid to the laws of some selected jurisdictions to set the discussions in their comparative perspectives. While examining the competence of the traditional laws to address the issues, the need for law reforms will also be discussed.

The course has two parts, taught component followed by a written examination (Part I) and research-based/supervised dissertation (self-study component) (Part II). The students will have an excellent environment for higher leaning particularly under the guidance of highly respected and senior experts in the subjects through teaching sessions, guest lectures and interactive-seminars and group discussions.

The proposed resource persons will include: Dr. Harsha Cabral PC (Course Director), Dr. K. Kang-Isvaran PC, Justice Dr. Saleem Marsoof PC, Mr. Kalinga Indatissa PC, Mr. Jayantha Fernando (LL.M.- London), Attorney at Law, Mr. Mahela Liyanage (LL.M.-NUS) Attorney at Law, Mr. Thishya Weragoda (LL.B-Colombo, LL.M -Singapore, MCIArb -UK, ACMA -UK, CGMA) Attorney at Law and Mr. Revan Weerasinghe (LL.B.-London, LL.M. - Colombo, BSc -London) Attorney at Law.