Medical Ordinance — Lineage & Amendments
Visual diagrams showing how the Medical Ordinance, No. 26 of 1927 evolved through its extensive amendment history. This is one of Sri Lanka's most-amended pieces of legislation, with 9 major amendments spanning nearly a century.
Amendment Flowchart
The Medical Ordinance has been amended nine times between 1985 and 2018. The 1985 amendment was transformative, adding an entire new Part (IIIA) to the Ordinance.
Legend: Blue = base act / low impact, Orange = medium impact, Red = high impact (transformative)
Source Documents
| Act | Year | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Ordinance, No. 26 of 1927 | 1927 | SLMC (PDF, consolidated) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 23 of 1985 | 1985 | Parliament.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 30 of 1987 | 1987 | Parliament.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 25 of 1988 | 1988 | Parliament.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 15 of 1996 | 1996 | Parliament.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 33 of 1997 | 1997 | Gov.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 40 of 1998 | 1998 | Gov.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 6 of 2014 | 2014 | Gov.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 1 of 2017 | 2017 | Gov.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
| Amendment No. 28 of 2018 | 2018 | Gov.lk (PDF) | View PDF |
Governance Hierarchy (Ordinance Design)
The Medical Ordinance established a two-tier governance structure. Unlike the Health Services Act, both tiers remain legally active and the Medical Council is fully operational today.
Legend: Green = legally active, Gray = functions / subordinate entities
Scope of Regulation
The Medical Ordinance covers a remarkably broad scope of health professions through its 10 Parts: