14.
| (1) Notwithstanding any Order made under section 1, the provisions of subsection (2) shall come into operation only upon an Order made in that behalf by the Minister from time to time and published in the Gazette for such period as may be specified in the Order, |
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| (2)
| | (a) No person shall, without the approval in writing of a competent authority, print or publish in any newspaper any matter relating to-
| | | (i) the commission of any act which constitutes an offence under this Act or the investigation of any such offence ; or |
| (ii) incitement to violence, or which is likely to cause religious, racial or communal disharmony or feelings of ill-will or hostility between different communities or racial or religious groups. |
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| | (b) No person shall, without the approval in writing of a competent authority, distribute or be concerned in the distribution of any newspaper printed or published in Sri Lanka or outside Sri Lanka in respect of any matter the printing and publication of which is prohibited under paragraph (a). | | |
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| (3) Any person who commits any act in contravention of any of the provisions of subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment of either description for a period not exceeding five years. |
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| (4)
| | (a) Where any person is convicted of an offence under this section, the court may, in addition to the punishment it may impose for that offence under subsection (3), order that no person shall print, publish or distribute or in any way be concerned in the printing, publication or distribution of any such newspaper for such period as is specified in such order and that the printing press in which such newspaper was printed shall, for such period as shall be specified in such order, not be used for any purpose whatsoever or for any such purpose as is specified in the order. | | |
| | (b) Where any proceedings have been instituted against any person for the commission of any offence under this section, it shall be competent for the court to make an interim order that the printing press in which it is alleged that such newspaper or publication was printed shall not be used for any purpose whatsoever or for any such purpose as is specified in the order, until the conclusion of the trial. | | |
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Sri Lanka Consolidated Acts