SC completes first fully paperless oath-taking ceremony for attorneys

The Supreme Court has announced the successful completion of a fully paperless oath-taking ceremony for attorneys-at-law, marking a significant milestone in the digitalisation of Sri Lanka’s judicial system.According to a statement issued by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Manodhi Hewawasam, a total of 735 attorneys-at-law took their oaths through this digitalised process over the past five days.An initiative is currently underway to digitalise the country’s judicial proceedings under the leadership of Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena. This oath-taking ceremony has been identified as one of the key steps in the broader efforts to modernise the administration of the Supreme Court, said Ada Derana reporter.A key feature of the ceremony was the successful implementation of digital signatures, enabling attorneys-at-law to securely process and verify all necessary documentation electronically.The statement further noted that the digitalised oath-taking ceremony enabled the Supreme Court to save nearly 15,000 sheets of paper.It also highlighted that the programme strengthens the transparency and efficiency of the judicial system while demonstrating the Supreme Court’s commitment to environmental conservation by reducing the environmental impact associated with paper consumption.As part of this initiative, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal have already commenced online case filing, while the Commercial High Court is scheduled to launch its electronic case filing system within the coming week, according to the statement.