4 The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka CHAPTER III FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS Freedom of thought, conscience and religion 10. Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice. Freedom from torture 11. No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Right to equality 12. (1) All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law. (2) No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any one of such grounds: Provided that it shall be lawful to require a person to acquire within a reasonable time sufficient knowledge of any language as a qualification for any employment or office in the Public, Judicial or Local Government Service or in the service of any Public Corporation, where such knowledge is reasonably necessary for the discharge of the duties of such employment or office: Provided further that it shall be lawful to require a person to have a sufficient knowledge of any language as a qualification for any such employment or office where n o function of that employment or office can be discharged otherwise than with a knowledge of that language. (3) No person shall, on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex or any one of such grounds, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels, places of public entertainment and places of public worship of his own religion. (4) Nothing in this Article shall prevent special provision being made, by law, subordinate legislation or