Seven new Colombo courts established in former ministers’ bungalows

Seven new courts have been established in Colombo in former ministers’ bungalows as part of efforts to speed up court proceedings, Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said.

Another four premises were being cleaned and prepared, he said.

Nanayakkara said the government had promised to expedite court proceedings, but expanding the court system required suitable buildings and additional staff. Recruitment had taken time, although a substantial number of staff had now been recruited.

He acknowledged that he had faced strong criticism during the government’s first year over the pace of efforts to address court delays.

Additional premises were also needed to accommodate trials-at-bar before three-judge benches, he said.

“As Justice Minister, I do not concern myself with which minister lived in which bungalow,” Nanayakkara said. “We have to improve and use the available buildings according to our needs.”

Asked about reports that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Wijerama residence would be converted into a court complex, the minister said several houses in the Wijerama area were being used and others were under consideration.

However, he said he had not looked into who had previously occupied each property.

Responding to opposition criticism over judicial vacancies, Nanayakkara said appointments had been made, although a few remained outstanding. He rejected suggestions that vacancies were being left unfilled because of government reluctance.

The minister said case backlogs, shortages of resources and inadequate facilities for lawyers and litigants reflected problems that had accumulated over 30 to 40 years.

Digitalisation and other initiatives had begun, but their results would take time, he said.

Courts should ultimately allow people to have their cases dealt with without unnecessary inconvenience and delay, Nanayakkara said, acknowledging that the system had yet to reach that point.