Appeal Court delivering the order granting bail to lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah on February 7 emphasized the need for legislature to remove draconian elements of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and said it is court’s duty to exercise jurisdiction until such time, reports Colombo Page. The Court said “Ultimately, it is up to the Legislature to ensure that the draconian elements of the law combating terrorism are dispensed with per modern day contexts. Until such time, it is the judiciary’s duty to employ existing legal provisions and constitutional powers to interpret the same elements in the interests of justice.” Describing the history of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which was originally passed in 1979, the court said since then, four decades have passed, and the PTA has strayed far away from its historical context.