2 Electronic Transactions Act, No. 19 of 2006 Electronic Transactions Act. No. 19 of 2006 CHAPTER II 6. Eiecrronic Form 3. No data message, electronic document, electronic recognition of tecord or other,communication shall be denied legal recognition, effect, validity or enforceability on the ground that it is in electronic form. Requirement for writing. 4. Notwithstanding the fact that the provisions of written laws forthe time being. in force in Sri Lanka attach legal validity to certain instruments, only if such instruments have been reduced to writing, such requirement shall be deemed to be satisfied by a data message, electronic document, electronic record or other communication in electronic form electronic records. (a) the information in the data message, electronic document, electronic recerd or communication is accessible so as ta be usable for subsequent reference ; and {b) the data message, electronic document, electronic record or communication is retained in the farmat in which it was generated, sent or received, or ina format which can be demonstrated to represent accarately the information generated, sent or received ; and usable for subsequent reference. for original form. 5. (c) (1) Where the law requires information to be presented or retained in its origina] form, that requirement shall be deemed to be satisfied by a data document, electronic record message, or other communication or other communication subsequent reference. is available and can be used for ' (2) For the purposes of subsection (1)}— {a) the criterion for assessing: the integrity af information, is whether such information has remained complete and unaltered, apart from the addition of any endorsement or any change which arises in the normal storage or disp ay ; and (b) course of communicatiqn, the standard for reliability of the assurance shall be assessed having regard to the purpose for which the information was generated and all other relevant circumstances. document, electronic record or other communication and the cate and time when such in in the data message, electronic document, electronic record such information, enables the identification of the Origin and destination of the data message, electronic electronic electronic form if there exists a reliable assurance as to the integrity of the information from the lime when it was made available in electronic form and the information contained Recyirements for retention. notwithstanding the fact that such information was not originally generated in electronic form, if—— if the information contained therein is accessible so-as to be Requirements The requirement under any law that information be retrined, shall be deemed to be satisfied by the retention in electronic form of information contained in a data message, electronic document, electronic record or other communication RECOGNITION Dat), MESSAGES AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS IN Legal 3 information retained : was generated, sent or received, is Proviced that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any information, which is automatically generated solely for the purpose of enabling an electronic record to be dispatched or received. 7. Where any Act or enactment provides that any information of communication shalt be authenticated by affixing the signature, or that any document should be signed or bear the signature of any person, then, notwithstanding anything contained ‘n such law, such requirement shall be seemed to be satisfied, if such information or matter is authenticated by means of an electronic signature. Explanation— for the purpose of this ‘section, “sien” with its gtamuraticel varittuns and cognate expressions, shall, with refurcnee to a person mean, the affixing of his hatid-written Signature or any mark on arty document and the expressio n “signature” shall be ecastrued accordingly. : Legal recognition of electronic signatures.