2021-08-04
News Categories : Committee News
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 yesterday (03).
The committee discussed the “Three Year Plan on Establishment of New Courts and Development of Infrastructure Facilities in Western Province. State Ministers Lohan Ratwatte, Susil Premajayantha, Piyal Nishantha and Members of Parliament Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Sagara Kariyawasam, PC Jayantha Weerasinghe, Marjan Faleel, Chandima Weerakkody and Kokila Gunawardena were present.
Although there are more than 200 judges per million population in the developed countries, Sri Lanka now has only 15 judges, the Minister said. Accordingly, the number of judges is expected to increase to 218 and the number of courts to 245, the Minister said. He further stated that the development of the infrastructure required for these judges will be expedited under this next three-year plan.
It was revealed that the digitization of the judiciary has already begun and an agreement has been reached with the relevant technological service providers to conduct court meetings through e-filing system and video conference system.
It is expected to strengthen the Mediation Board and the number of disputes resolved is expected to double by next year. It was also revealed that steps have been taken to establish land mediation boards in several areas including Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Kilinochchi to resolve land disputes.
The Minister said that several expert committees have been set up to reform the judicial System and the report of the committee set up under the chairmanship of Supreme Court Judge Samayawardena has been received. In line with the recommendations of this committee report infrastructure facilities including the establishment of new courts will be improved he added.
It was revealed that steps will 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 MPs pointed out the existing shortcomings in the courts and the Minister said that steps would be taken under this three-year plan to renovate them as soon as possible and instructed the officials.
The Minister also said that separate courts will 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.
Emphasizing the importance of the community correction process that is being implemented instead of punishing, the Minister said that all possible steps will be taken to improve community correction.
The Minister also said that the House of Justice currently being constructed in Colombo will 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. 50 houses will also be constructed for judges. The Minister said that he was personally monitoring the progress of the project which is being implemented in four phases and that the construction will be completed soon.
He also said that the renovation of the Hulftsdorf court complex is being expedited. Although the Chinese government has provided a grant of around 500 million yuan for this purpose, it has been delayed since 2010, the Minister said.
State Minister Piyal Nishantha inquired about the possibility of expediting child abuse cases. The Hon. Chief Justice has recently 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.
Secretary to the Ministry of Justice M.P.K Mayadunne and other officials were also present at the meeting.
2025-11-27
The Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, Hon. Member of Parliament (Dr.) Najith Indika, stated that the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board must take the lead in streamlining the procurement process and easing existing legal barriers related to importing equipment used to test drivers for drug use.These matters were taken up during the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, which met in Parliament on 20th November 2025 under the chairmanship of Hon. MP (Dr.) Najith Indika.The Committee reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals and special project implementations of the Ministry of Public Security & Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government.Officials from the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau highlighted the difficulties in conducting roadside drug tests due to the lack of necessary equipment.The Committee Chair noted that the government has prioritized eliminating drug abuse and stressed the importance of regulating drivers who operate vehicles under the influence of drugs. He further stated that essential equipment required to identify drug users must be made readily available and that legal barriers affecting their procurement process and importation should be addressed promptly.Police officials also informed the Committee that notable progress has been made in implementing budgeted programmes related to drug prevention. Officials from the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board briefed the Committee on the progress achieved under their purview as well.The Committee additionally reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government. The Ministry Secretary reported significant progress and noted that many suspended development projects have now resumed.Hon. Members of Parliament G.G. Ponnambalam, Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Dharmapriya Wijesinghe were also present at the committee meeting.
2025-11-27
The appointments of three chairmen of state-owned institutions were approved by the Parliamentary Committee on High Posts yesterday (Nov. 26).Accordingly, the appointments of Dr. D.B.P.H. Dissabandara as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, Mr. M.D.C.A. Perera as the Chairman of the National Lotteries Board, and Eng. P.V.A. Hemalal, as the Chairman of Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka Limited, were approved by the Committee on High Posts.The meeting was chaired by Hon. Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and a group of members of the committee participated in this meeting.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital has examined the operation of private universities in Sri Lanka and the issues relating to their recognition by the University Grants Commission (UGC).The matter was discussed when the Committee met in Parliament on 21 November 2025, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage.During the discussion, the Committee Chair highlighted the emergence of institutions awarding degrees of inadequate quality and the resulting harm caused. He noted that many such institutions operate with profit-making as their primary objective rather than providing quality education. The Chair stressed the importance of ensuring that the entire process, from student admission to awarding of degrees remains under the supervision of the UGC.The Vice Chair of the UGC, expressing his views, underscored the need to establish a Higher Education Commission to regulate and monitor private universities and other degree-awarding institutions. He explained that such a body would enable the creation of comprehensive data systems and facilitate links with universities worldwide, allowing access to essential information on institutional standards and programme quality. This, he noted, would help ensure accurate decision-making when granting approval to prospective private universities. These comments were further supported by the Additional Secretary (Non-State Higher Education) of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training, and by officials of the UGC.The Committee also focused on issues related to state universities, scholarships offered for foreign degree programmes, and other related matters.Hon. Members of Parliament Krishnan Keleichelvi, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage (Attorney-at-Law), Chanaka Madugoda, Thurairasa Ravikaran, and Sunil Rajapaksha, along with officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training and the UGC, were present at the discussion.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection recently (Nov. 18) reviewed 12 performance reports and annual reports of institutions functioning under the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.The Committee met in Parliament on the 18th under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika.Accordingly, the Committee examined the 2022, 2023 and 2024 performance reports of the Registrar’s Office of the Supreme Court, the 2023 and 2024 performance reports of Judges of Supreme Court, the 2022 Annual Report of the Supreme Court Complex Management Board, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.In addition, the Committee reviewed the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Official Languages, the 2020,2021,2022 & 2023 Annual Reports of the Official Languages Commission, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Institute of Language Education and Training, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Prisons, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Debt Conciliation Board.The Committee also inquired into audit observations related to these institutions, and relevant officials presented their explanations. Attention was also drawn to the current activities of these institutions, as well as existing issues and shortcomings. The Committee Chair informed officials to notify the Committee if amendments to the legal framework governing these institutions were necessary to ensure more efficient service delivery, and assured the Committee’s support in facilitating such changes.Further, regarding the 2024 Annual Performance Report of the Department of Community Based Corrections, it was noted that the Auditor General’s report highlighted the incomplete construction of the building for the Legal Aid and Community Correctional Office in Puttalam. The Committee requested a report on this matter.Accordingly, approval of the Committee was granted for all performance and annual reports reviewed, except for the 2023 and 2024 Annual Performance Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.Hon. Members of Parliament Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Major General (Retd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara, along with a group of government officials, participated in the Committee meeting.
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