Secretary to the Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Ministry M. N. Ranasinghe stated that the period from 2022 to 2024 will be historically significant for the highest number of law reforms in Sri Lanka.
He highlighted that since 2022, 59 legal reforms have been passed in Parliament, with an additional seven drafts and 44 legal amendments slated for future approval.
Ranasinghe made these remarks during a press conference titled ‘Two Years of Progress and Advancement’ at the Presidential Media Centre yesterday (17).
He emphasised the Ministry’s pivotal role in drafting laws across various ministries. He noted that the Legal Draftsman’s Department prepared 273 drafts in 2022 and 299 drafts in 2023, encompassing all three languages.
Justice Secretary Ranasinghe further said:
“The Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms has made significant progress in legal reforms over the past two years. This period will be remembered as the time where the largest number of legal reforms were implemented.
“Within the scope of our ministry, 59 legal reforms have been passed in Parliament: 29 in 2022, 17 in 2023, and 13 so far in 2024. Additionally, seven more drafts are set to be adopted by Parliament soon. It is also important to note that work on 44 other crucial legal amendments is nearly complete. The Justice Ministry plays a major role in drafting laws for every ministry. Consequently, the Legal Draftsman’s Department prepared 273 draft laws in 2022 and 299 in 2023, in all three languages, for other ministries.
“By making the judicial system more efficient, people’s cases can be resolved quickly. This allows property related to litigation to be utilized for economic development and fosters a favourable investment environment. Clearly, there is a direct relationship between delays in the legal system and economic growth.
“According to the report issued by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Legal Affairs in 2017, it typically takes about 17 years to conclude a criminal case. Various studies indicate that it can take more than a generation to complete land, partition, and testamentary cases. We have planned the necessary activities to change this situation.
“Digitisation of the judicial system has been identified as a major solution. Accordingly, digitisation and a large number of reforms have already been carried out in the ministry as well as in the judicial sector.
“After 42 years, the amendment of the Constitution increased the number of Supreme Court judges by 14. Despite the difficult economic situation, 76 judicial officers were recruited on two occasions in the last two years. Additionally, 34 individuals were promoted to High Court Judges on two occasions. This allowed for the increase in the number of courts and the introduction of new courts.
“During this period, the number of courtrooms in the Supreme Court was increased from three to five, and the number of courtrooms in the Court of Appeal was increased from 5 to 10. It should also be mentioned that digitization has been introduced in the Supreme Court, providing great convenience to citizens, including lawyers.
“Getting to the top of the Ease of Doing Business Index is crucial for attracting foreign investments. Four Commercial High Courts have been established in the Western Province to resolve commercial disputes, and all arrangements have been made to establish more Commercial High Courts. Additionally, to address the new investment landscape created by the Port City project, necessary legal reforms are underway to establish an investment court to quickly resolve investor disputes.
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