Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved an amendment to allow remote witness testimony in civil court proceedings via audio-visual links, modernizing the judicial system. The government also established a National Business Facilitation Centre and approved several other administrative and economic measures on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers has approved an amendment to the Civil Procedure Code that will enable courts to record witness testimony remotely from locations within or outside the country through simultaneous audio-visual links. According to Justice Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, the measure aims to expedite civil litigation and resolve cases more efficiently. The amendment allows remote evidence to be presented either at the request of the parties involved or at the court's discretion. The Legal Draftsman's draft bill has already received clearance from the Attorney General and will be published in the Government Gazette before being submitted to Parliament for formal approval.
The remote testimony system was previously implemented for criminal cases, initially designed to protect child witnesses in trials. Jayatissa indicated that the necessary technical equipment is scheduled to be distributed to most courts across the island by the end of August. The amendment maintains the remainder of the Civil Procedure Code unchanged and focuses solely on enabling remote witness testimony.
In a related measure to streamline business operations, the Cabinet also approved the establishment of a National Business Facilitation Centre under the Presidential Secretariat. Jayatissa explained that the centre aims to address administrative delays that investors face when navigating approvals across multiple government institutions, including environmental clearances, land allocation, regulatory permits, and utility connections. The minister clarified that this initiative is not intended to replace the Board of Investment but rather to coordinate approvals across various state bodies. A national-level steering committee comprising ministry secretaries and relevant institutional heads will oversee cross-agency coordination.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved security service contracts for the National Savings Bank worth 1,116.82 million rupees (excluding value added tax). Seven companies were selected from fourteen bids received to provide security services for a two-year period beginning October 1, 2026.
