Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda says completing a single cycle of a criminal case in Sri Lanka takes an average of 10 years and 2 months, underscoring the severe delays plaguing the justice system.
Speaking at an event, Justice Kodagoda highlighted that there are currently 1.1 million cases pending across the country’s courts.
These are handled by just 333 courts, including 80 magistrate courts, two child magistrate courts, 64 district courts, 94 combined district magistrate courts, 53 High Courts, five commercial courts, 23 civil appellate High Courts, seven judges at the Court of Appeal, and five divisions of the Supreme Court.
He noted that if cases were evenly distributed, each court would be burdened with more than 3,300 cases. The limited capacity of judges, legal officers, and support staff directly impacts the pace of justice.
Explaining the process, Justice Kodagoda said once a crime is reported, police investigate, the case is heard before a magistrate, charges are filed by the Attorney General at the High Court, and then the trial proceeds to conclusion.
He pointed out that a 2013 survey revealed that this cycle takes over a decade to complete.
“As an example, if a burglary is reported today, the first phase of the case would only conclude in August 2036,” he said, stressing the urgent need for reforms to address systemic delays. (Newswire)