Cabinet approves Rs. 150 m to fast-track e-Courts

Wednesday, 17 December 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved a Rs. 150 million allocation to the Judicial Service Commission to accelerate the rollout of the e-Court Project, reinforcing the Government’s push to modernise the country’s judicial system in line with its wider fiscal and governance reform agenda.

The funding, drawn from provisions allocated under the Clean Sri Lanka Project, was approved following a proposal submitted by the Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.

The initiative is positioned as a key reform aligned with the public investment priorities set out under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) backed reform agenda for 2026–2030 and the Government’s broader Clean Sri Lanka Strategy, both of which place emphasis on transparency, efficiency and institutional reform.

Sri Lanka has identified the digitalisation of its judicial system as a national priority, with the first phase already underway at the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

The apex Court is currently implementing a dedicated website alongside an electronic case management system to handle its case files, marking a foundational step in the judiciary’s digital transformation.

Building on this pilot phase, the e-Court Project is designed to extend the same digital infrastructure across the entire court system, including the Court of Appeal, the Judicial Service Commission and the Institute of Judges.

By adapting and scaling the Supreme Court’s website and electronic case management system, the Government aims to create a unified digital framework for courts nationwide.

Central to the project is the planned establishment of a national judicial data network, which policymakers see as critical to addressing entrenched structural weaknesses in the justice system.

“Long-standing issues such as prolonged case delays, limited data transparency and procedural inefficiencies have undermined timely access to justice, and the digital shift is expected to bring greater visibility, consistency and speed to judicial processes,” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Wijesinghe said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.

He said the e-Court initiative not only as a technological upgrade, but also as an institutional reform that complements Sri Lanka’s broader economic recovery and governance agenda.

“By linking judicial digitalisation to public investment reforms and anti-corruption strategies, the Government is signalling that improvements in the rule of law and service delivery are integral to restoring public confidence and supporting sustainable development,” he added.