Sri Lanka, May 10 – The government has completed a study aimed at digitizing the judicial system, with preparations now being made to initiate this project. Led by Justice Arjuna Obeysekera, a special committee has been established under the Court Automation program. Two court complexes located in Negombo and Kandy have been selected to accelerate efforts in resolving backlog cases.
At present, there are 29,132 civil cases awaiting resolution in the Sri Lankan judicial system, having been pending for between five to ten years, along with another 17,271 cases that have remained unresolved for more than ten years.
Yesterday (08), addressing the Parliament, Justice and National Integration Minister Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara made these remarks in reply to a query posed by SJB MP Chithral Fernando, who requested an oral answer.
The Minister added more details, saying:
To prevent the backlog from delaying the resolution of current pending court cases, a previously initiated but halted court expansion program due to the COVID-19 pandemic will now resume. This initiative aimed at assigning an optimal caseload per judge as a strategy to circumvent postponements in hearings. Our approach primarily relied on recommendations detailed within the final report compiled by the committee tasked with examining judicial boundaries and proposing additional courthouses, particularly emphasizing high courts, largely following guidelines set forth in the Mahinda Samayawardana Report.
To alleviate the backlog of current legal cases and redirect them accordingly, the government plans to expand the number of Small Claims Courts and Pre-Trial Courts nationwide. Currently, with just two such courts located in Kandy and Matara, construction has commenced on facilities intended for establishment in multiple locations including Galle, Kantale, Matale, Nikawaratiya, Puttalam, Valachchenai, and Mahawa. Additionally, the count of Commercial High Courts has risen from four to five, with preparations underway for the opening of the newest one shortly. Furthermore, seven previously designated Tourism Courts—found in regions like Medawachchiya, Kahatagasdigiliya, Nochchiyagama, Kalawanchikudi, Kalawana, Passara, and Narammala—are set to transition into full-fledged Magistrates Courts.
To decrease the backlog of pending cases, three new High Courts in Colombo, Kandy, and Anuradhapura, along with twelve extra District High Courts, two more District Courts, and one additional Magistrate’s Court have already been set up.
The Model Courts initiative, which was initially launched earlier, has grown to encompass 21 courthouses, and the government is still proceeding with the expansion program.
The Minister also mentioned that the government is actively engaged in a initiative aimed at decreasing the expense associated with legal proceedings for citizens, thereby alleviating the financial strain they face at present.
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