The High Court and Magistrate’s Court, currently operating inside the UNESCO‑declared Galle Fort, are to be vacated and relocated to the newly built court complex in Beligaha, Galle.
The move comes under the “Galle Revival Project,” an integrated development initiative designed to preserve the Fort’s archaeological value while promoting tourism.
The Cabinet has approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Urban Development, which will allow the vacated historic buildings to be repurposed for tourism promotion projects through a public‑private partnership model.
According to the government, the decision is part of the Greater Galle Development Plan (2021–2030), which designates the Fort as a World Heritage Tourism Zone.
The project aims to ease traffic congestion, reduce administrative use of heritage buildings, and enhance the visitor experience for the more than 300,000 local and foreign tourists who visit the site annually. (Newswire)