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A case of the jitters at crumbling, facility-less court in Hulftsdorp
Up-to-date judicial infrastructure is essential for the efficient, effective, and fair delivery of court services to a community.
These pictures say it all. Pix by Amila Gamage
But in the heart of the capital Colombo, lies the dilapidated Court No 9 in the District Court in Hulftsdorp.
Boldly, a notice warns of the dangers from the crumbling court, which comes under the Ministry of Justice.
While more than Rs 2 billion has been allocated in 2017 to build and renovate court complexes, even basic facilities for the public are missing at Court No 9.
A warning at the entrance says: “Danger of falling parts. Avoid loitering in the area unnecessarily.’’
The roof needs immediate repairs.
But litigants are compelled to take a risk and attend hearings.
Regardless of the dangers, lawyers and judges too have to continue proceedings.
This court is where mostly maintenance and divorce cases are heard.
The notice of the danger however, is eerily amusing to those who go in and out, and for many, it barely gets noticed amid the concerns they have related to their legal tussles.
The court room has not been renovated for nearly 15 years and there are no basic amenities. It is not accessible to the less-abled people. There is not even wheel-chair access.
Worse, there is not even a washroom for women.
A female litigant commented last week that it seems the Minister of Justice Thalatha Athukorala has not visited the complex.
As the building is part of a Dutch architectural monument, declared as a heritage site by the Department of Archaeology, renovation can only be undertaken with the permission of the department.
A huge volume of court files and registers are maintained in the court room.
A private company has been assigned to maintain the only toilet — for men and for women — which is in a deplorable state.
The huge tree that stood in the middle of the old complex has been cut down and people use the remaining stump as a seat.
There is no seating.
There is no proper canteen either.
A senior official of the Justice Ministry said that adequate funds have been allocated but only ad hoc repairs had been done.
The fact that the building is a protected site under the Archeology Act also means it is not easy to undertake maintenance.
He added that a proposal to shift the whole complex to another location is under consideration.
But until then, litigants and judicial workers will have to endure the pathetic faciities.
| SITE IDLING FOR TWO YEARS | |
| In April, 2016, the Cabinet approved the building of a new court complex and for purchasing a six acre site (1.80 hectares) from the land belonging to the British Ceylon Corporation Lanka. The land was surveyed on March 28, 2017 and boundaries marked and the application for vesting the state property to various departments was referred to the Colombo Divisional Secretary on June 13, 2017. The Divisional Secretary was asked to prepare the initial plan and the details to establish the ownership of the BCC land on December 13, 2017. However, two years on, after the Cabinet approval little progress has been made on the new building, which could house all the courts in Colombo except the Supreme Court . |