Monday Dec 16, 2024
Monday Dec 16, 2024
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A special three-year plan will be implemented to reduce the current congestion in the Judiciary and expedite the settlement of cases, Justice Minister PC Ali Sabry said at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Justice on Tuesday.
The committee discussed the ‘Three-Year Plan on Establishment of New Courts and Development of Infrastructure Facilities in Western Province’.
Although there were over 200 judges per million population in the developed countries, Sri Lanka now has only 15 judges, the Minister said. Accordingly, the number of judges are expected to increase to 218 and the number of courts to 245, Sabry said adding that the development of the infrastructure required for these judges would be expedited under this three-year plan.
It was revealed that the digitalisation of the Judiciary has begun, and an agreement had been reached with the relevant technological service providers to conduct court meetings through e-filing system and video conference system.
The Minister said that the report of the expert committees set up to reform the judicial system under the chairmanship of Supreme Court Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena had been received and that its recommendations would be implemented soon. It was revealed that steps would be taken to construct new District Courts in Mahara and Welisara, a Magistrate Court and a District Court in Mirigama, Magistrate Courts in Beruwala and Kalutara Meegahatenna areas in accordance with the recommendations of the committee.
The Minister also said that separate courts would be set up for cases involving financial crimes of less than Rs. 1.5 million, to avoid delays in hearing large-scale financial crime cases and small financial fraud cases in the same court.
Sabry also said the number of disputes resolved via mediation boards was expected to double by next year. It was also revealed that steps had been taken to establish land mediation boards in several areas including Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Kilinochchi to resolve land disputes.
Emphasising the importance of the community correction process that was being implemented instead of punishing, the Minister said that all possible steps would be taken to improve community correction.
The Minister also said that the House of Justice currently being constructed in Colombo would be completed soon, bringing many courts under one roof. It will be built on an area of 6.5 acres and the Ministry of Justice will also be established in the complex. Fifty houses will also be constructed for judges. The Minister said that he was personally monitoring the progress of the project which was being implemented in four phases and that the construction would be completed soon.
He also said that the renovation of the Hulftsdorf court complex was being expedited. Although the Chinese government had provided a grant of around 500 million yuan for this purpose, it had been delayed since 2010, the Minister said.
State Minister Piyal Nishantha inquired about the possibility of expediting child abuse cases. The Chief Justice issued a special circular in this regard last week and accordingly the cases pertaining to child abuse cases will be heard and completed expeditiously, the Minister said.
State Ministers Lohan Ratwatte, Susil Premajayantha, Piyal Nishantha and MPs Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Sagara Kariyawasam, PC Jayantha Weerasinghe, Marjan Faleel, Chandima Weerakkody and Kokila Gunawardena were present. Secretary to the Ministry of Justice M.P.K. Mayadunne and other officials were also present at the meeting.
