Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa says the government is implementing extensive reforms to speed up legal proceedings and address a backlog of over 1.1 million pending court cases, claiming opposition groups have grown uncomfortable with faster investigations.
The Sri Lankan government is pursuing significant reforms across the justice sector to expedite legal proceedings and reduce lengthy case backlogs, according to Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. The minister highlighted that approximately 1.1 million cases are currently pending before courts nationwide, with some hearings delayed by up to eleven months between proceedings. This congestion has eroded public confidence in the judicial system and prompted comprehensive reform efforts.
Dr. Jayatissa outlined several measures being undertaken to improve efficiency. The Government Analyst's Department, which had faced serious delays in report submissions and numerous staff vacancies, has begun recruiting and training new officers to accelerate processing times. Similar recruitment drives are underway at the Attorney General's Department and through the Judicial Service Commission. Additionally, the government is addressing severe overcrowding in prisons, which currently hold approximately 41,000 inmates despite being designed for around 10,000 people. The minister indicated that new facilities are being constructed and existing infrastructure expanded to accommodate the population.
Dr. Jayatissa attributed opposition concerns about these developments to political actors who have become "uneasy" as investigations and court proceedings progress more rapidly. He suggested that certain political figures have directed criticism toward investigating agencies and officials, including the Inspector General of Police, the Bribery Commission leadership, and members of the judiciary. The minister characterized such concerns as unsurprising given the nature of those affected by accelerated legal processes, framing the reforms as necessary modernization of Sri Lanka's justice system.
