This Act may be cited as the Republic of Sri Lanka Act 1972.

This Act shall be deemed to have come into force on the 22nd day of May 1972.

All existing law—that is to say, all law which, whether it is a rule of law or a provision of an Act of any Parliament or a provision of any other enactment or instrument whatsoever, has come into force or been passed or made before the commencement of this Act—shall, until provision to the contrary is made by the authority having power to alter that law, have the same operation in relation to Sri Lanka, and to persons and things in any way belonging to or connected with Sri Lanka, as it would have had if Sri Lanka had not become a Republic.

This section extends to the law of, or of any part of, New Zealand or of any of the territories referred to in section 3 of this Act.

This Act shall be in force in the following territories:

The First Schedule to the Niue Act 1966 is hereby amended by adding the following words:

Every reference to Ceylon in any Act, Order in Council, Proclamation, notice, regulations, rules, agreement, deed, instrument, or document whatsoever shall hereafter be read as a reference to Sri Lanka.