The Annual Conference of Judicial Officers 2025 commenced today gathering over 200 Magistrates and District Court Judges from across the nation.
This year’s conference focuses on the timely theme, ‘Advancing Judicial Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Digital Era’, a topic of urgent relevance as the country rebuilds and adapts in the wake of the disaster. The commitment of Sri Lanka’s judicial leadership to harness technology for addressing critical gaps in the justice system has never been more vital, especially as communities and institutions work together to overcome the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.
The opening ceremony was held this morning, attended by distinguished guests including Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena; Members of the Judicial Service Commission Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena and Justice S. Thurairajah; Charge’ d’ affaires, High Commission of Canada in Sri Lanka, Kiril Iordanov and Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, Azusa Kubota. Key resource persons for the conference includes the Former Chief Justice of India, Dr. Dhananjaya Chandrachud; Justice Aidan Xu from the High Court of Singapore; and Director General of the CIABOC, Judge Ranga Dissanayake.
Over the next two days, the conference will address key priorities, including the integration of digital solutions to enhance judicial processes, , with the aim of increasing access to justice for vulnerable victims including victim survivors of Sexual and Gender-based Violence and the role of judiciary in combating corruption—initiatives made possible through UNDP’s ongoing collaboration with the Government of Canada and anti-corruption efforts supported by the Government of Japan. Together, these efforts signal a decisive step towards a more resilient, effective, and inclusive justice system for all Sri Lankans.
