The Law and Society Trust (LST) commits to improving democratic governance and strengthening the rule of law in Sri Lanka.
LST programmes focus on:
• Improving the constitutional foundations of our political system and society through participatory constitutional review and reforms
• Critiquing laws that violate human rights 
• Advocating for reforms that strengthen peoples’ fundamental rights
• Reiterating the message that social, economic and cultural rights are important human rights
• Prioritizing equal citizenship and committing to protect the rights of minorities and marginalized communities.

LST supports citizen’s engagement and participation in constitutional review and reform and transitional justice processes. 
LST also advocates for the recognition of economic, social and cultural rights in constitutional reform initiatives. 
LST engages in research and the critical analysis of bills and policies from the perspective of human rights and constitutionalism. 
LST also documents and critiques the State’s commitment to human rights issues through its responses to the judiciary, other state institutions and issues relating to impunity.

LST supports local communities in advocating for their right to land and other natural resources. Building on the principle of food sovereignty LST works with small-scale producers, including farmers, fisher communities and plantation workers to influence policy, legal and system reforms that ensure their right to resources. Through research, advocacy and capacity building, LST promotes the sustainable use of resources.

LST commits to advancing gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in Sri Lanka. For LST, gender equality and social inclusion are not about ensuring parity in numbers and reforming laws to ensure formal equality. It is about working with women and men and persons of all sexual identities, all classes and sectors, to expand their freedoms and opportunities and to transform behaviours and attitudes about gender roles in society.

Social inclusion is the process of creating access to improve the abilities, opportunities and dignity of those persons and groups who are disadvantaged because of their identity. LST works to build institutions and processes that ensure gender equality and social inclusion are embedded both in our work and in society’s understanding of what constitutes participatory democracy.

LST works with other local and international organizations to provide protection and support for men and women human rights defenders from threats, intimidation and attacks, from the State or other non-state actors.
LST also advocates for an enabling environment for human rights defenders through legal, and policy reforms and strengthening supporting networks.
LST supports the development of the capacities of defenders through the transferring of knowledge, creating opportunities for experience exchanges and skills development.