Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda says it takes an average of 10 years and two months to complete a single cycle of a criminal case in Sri Lanka, highlighting the urgent need for reforms to address delays in the country’s justice system.
Speaking at a public event, Justice Kodagoda revealed that approximately 1.1 million cases are currently pending before courts across the island, placing a significant burden on the judiciary.
He noted that the country’s judicial system comprises just 333 courts, including 80 Magistrate’s Courts, two Child Magistrate’s Courts, 64 District Courts, 94 Combined District and Magistrate’s Courts, 53 High Courts, five Commercial High Courts, 23 Civil Appellate High Courts, seven judges at the Court of Appeal and five divisions of the Supreme Court.
According to Justice Kodagoda, if the pending cases were distributed evenly, each court would be responsible for handling more than 3,300 cases, placing immense pressure on judges, legal officers and court staff, and slowing the delivery of justice.
He explained that the criminal justice process begins with a police investigation, followed by proceedings before a Magistrate’s Court, the filing of indictments by the Attorney General in the High Court and the completion of the trial.
Referring to a 2013 survey, Justice Kodagoda said the average duratio
