INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, Mr
highlighted that since 2022, a total of 59 legal reforms have been passed in Parliament, with an additional 07 drafts and 44 legal
amendments slated for future approval.Mr
He noted that the Department of Legal Draftsman prepared 273 drafts in 2022 and 299 drafts in 2023, encompassing all three
languages.Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reform, Mr
over the past two years.This period will be remembered as the time where the largest number of legal reforms were implemented.Within the
scope of our ministry, 59 legal reforms have been passed in Parliament: 29 in 2022, 17 in 2023, and 13 so far in 2024
Additionally, seven more drafts are set to be adopted by Parliament soon
It is also important to note that work on 44 other crucial legal amendments is nearly complete
The Ministry of Justice plays a major role in drafting laws for every ministry
Consequently, the Department of Legal Draftsman prepared 273 draft laws in 2022 and 299 in 2023, in all three languages, for other
This allows property related to litigation to be utilized for economic development and fosters a favourable investment environment
Clearly, there is a direct relationship between delays in the legal system and economic growth.According to the report issued by the
Sectorial Oversight Committee on Legal Affairs in 2017, it typically takes about 17 years to conclude a criminal case
Various studies indicate that it can take more than a generation to complete land, partition, and testamentary cases
We have planned the necessary activities to change this situation.Digitization of the judicial system has been identified as a major
Accordingly, digitization and a large number of reforms have already been carried out in the ministry as well as in the judicial
sector.After 42 years, the amendment of the Constitution increased the number of Supreme Court judges by 14
Despite the difficult economic situation, 76 judicial officers were recruited on two occasions in the last two years
Additionally, 34 individuals were promoted to High Court Judges on two occasions
This allowed for the increase in the number of courts and the introduction of new courts.During this period, the number of courtrooms in the
Supreme Court was increased from 3 to 5, and the number of courtrooms in the Court of Appeal was increased from 5 to 10
It should also be mentioned that digitization has been introduced in the Supreme Court, providing great convenience to citizens, including
lawyers.Getting to the top of the Ease of Doing Business Index is crucial for attracting foreign investments
Four Commercial High Courts have been established in the Western Province to resolve commercial disputes, and all arrangements have been
made to establish more Commercial High Courts
Additionally, to address the new investment landscape created by the port city project, necessary legal reforms are underway to establish an
investment court to quickly resolve investor disputes.An Enforcing Contract Task Force is also being implemented to build a favourable
investment environment.The amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure in 2023 introduced the pre-trial conference system, enabling quicker
In the future, pre-trial hearings are also planned to be conducted swiftly under separate judges.It should be noted that nearly 30% of the
cases piled up in the district courts are money-related cases
To reduce the number of financial cases coming to the courts, the financial limit of the conciliation boards was raised to Rs
1 million.In 2022, the Ministry introduced a significant change to the judicial structure by establishing small claims courts, where
financial disputes up to Rs
2 million can be referred
Since these courts follow streamlined procedures, financial disputes can be resolved very quickly.Currently, separate Small Claims Courts
are functioning in Colombo, Kandy, and Matale
In the future, the establishment of these small claims courts in other areas will be facilitated
Until then, this judicial procedure will be implemented in the district courts.The Judicial Zoning Committee has proposed many new courts to
facilitate access to justice for rural people
implemented in the future
Tourist courts and magistrate courts were promoted in Medavachchiya, Kahtagasdigiliya, Nochchiyagama, Kalavanchikudi, Narammala and Kalawana
Additionally, several new courts were established over the past two years.Moreover, the process of settling disputes outside of court has
Legal Draftsman, the Department of Government Analyst, and the National Authority for The Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witnesses, to
ensure the effective administration of justice for the public.In 2023 alone, the Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission provided services to 182,579
people.The Office of National Unity and Reconciliation, the Office of Missing Persons and the Office of Reparations are working towards
creating a Sri Lankan nation that respects national identity, treats every citizen equally and upholds peace
In the 21st amendment to the constitution, we uphold the positive aspects of the 20th amendment
Notably, through the 21st amendment, all independent commissions were reinstated, addressing previous challenges effectively
This includes provisions for prosecuting the wrongdoings made by the President, requiring Parliamentary approval for high government
as the Anti-Corruption Bill and the Hydrology Bill have been introduced
death or life imprisonment.Furthermore, the recently enacted Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill mandates that every candidate
contesting elections must report their expenditures within 21 days of the release of election results, marking a significant positive
development.Moreover, in the Commercial High Court, the option to conduct proceedings entirely in English has been introduced
Additionally, online hearings are currently underway and a new arbitration law has been submitted to the Attorney General for approval,
aiming to resolve cases outside of traditional court settings.In conclusion, these new decrees and measures are expected to facilitate
Currently, we are implementing recommendations from the Judicial Service Commission with additional technical support
The digitization of all courts in Sri Lanka is planned in three phases, with financial support from the European Union and technical
assistance from the United Nations Development Program
Pilot projects for this initiative are already underway.Additionally, the process of applying for bail and providing bail has been
streamlined through an electronic system
Furthermore, digital display boards have been installed in several courts in Colombo to manage the crowd in courtrooms effectively
Secretary (Engineering) Ms
4862 million, followed by Rs
2748 million in 2023 and Rs
With these allocations, we have successfully opened three court complexes in Ratnapura, Welimada and Theldeniya.
Last year, a double
apartment complex was constructed in Kurunegala
Additionally, renovation work has modernized the Judicial Service Commission building
Construction is underway for the Galle Court Complex, with plans to complete the first phase of a 16-floor Colombo 12 Court Complex spanning
six floors.Efforts are also on-going to modernize the Supreme Court complex and the Court of Appeal
A new court building is being constructed in Wakarei
indicate significant growth
In 2022, we received 42,895 productions and issued 40,756 reports
By 2023, these numbers increased to 58,886 productions received and 53,253 reports issued.This represents a 37% increase in production
Various long-term and short-term measures have been implemented to address overcrowding in prisons
Plans are underway to complete the relocation of Dumbara, Jaffna and Angunakolapalassa prisons within the next two years
Financial relief continues to be disbursed for movable and immovable properties, as well as vehicles, to those affected by the unrest in
Saman Kumari, Deputy Director (Legal) of the Legal Aid Commission Advocate Ms
Hapuarachchi, Secretary of the Conciliation Board Commission Ms
Rathnasuriya, Acting Director General of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation Ms
Thushari Suriyarachchi, Head of Data Management of the Office of Missing Persons Mr
Nuwan also addressed the press conference and many officials from the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reform were
present on the occasion.Source: PMD
