The opposition Samagi Jana Balmandalaya has submitted a resolution calling for a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate and resolve Sri Lanka's severe judicial delays, with over 1.1 million cases pending in courts.
The Samagi Jana Balmandalaya (SJB) has formally requested the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to examine measures aimed at reducing the substantial backlog of court cases plaguing Sri Lanka's justice system. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa led a delegation of SJB MPs in presenting the resolution to Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, seeking to establish mechanisms that could accelerate case disposal across the judiciary.
The proposal responds to documented concerns about systemic inefficiencies within the legal framework. Ministry of Justice records show approximately 1.1 million cases are currently pending before courts nationwide. The SJB identified multiple contributing factors to these delays, including vacancies in judicial positions, insufficient staffing at the Attorney General's Department, and extended timeframes for obtaining reports from specialized government departments such as the Government Analyst's Office and Government Valuation Department.
The Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has previously acknowledged in Parliament that substantial workload pressures within the Attorney General's Department significantly contribute to court proceedings delays. The cascading effects of these judicial delays extend beyond courtrooms, creating acute challenges within the prison system, where the inmate population currently stands at over 40,000 despite a designed capacity of approximately 10,000.
Prison Department statistics reveal that nearly 75 percent of current inmates are suspects awaiting case conclusions, highlighting how prolonged legal proceedings directly intensify overcrowding. The SJB resolution requests that the proposed committee investigate root causes of judicial delays, recommend reforms to enhance court efficiency, and propose solutions to alleviate prison overcrowding through expedited case resolution.
