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Justice Minister vows to eliminate laws delays, as new BASL chief is inducted
There is an urgent need to expedite the legal process in view of the sheer backlog of cases, Justice Minister Ali Sabry said yesterday.
He made the remarks following the induction of President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris as the new President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) during the BASL’s 47th Annual Convention.
“We have to be realistic of what we have achieved on the ground. The underlying issue is the sheer number of cases before courts and the massive backlog, which in turn, has resulted in litigation stagnancy,” the Minister said.
At the end of 2019, there were more than 766,000 cases pending in court while there were only about 303 judges to resolve these cases, he revealed.
Attorney General Dappula de Liveira inducts the new President of the Bar Association - Saliya Peiris as Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justice Minister Ali Sabri applaud.
How could judges handle such a demanding workload, even if they worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week, he asked, pointing out that there were only 15 judges for one million people in Sri Lanka.
Minister Sabry said the Justice Ministry was inundated with letters from litigants due to case delays. As a solution to the current crisis, the Government is planning to double the number of judges in the next five years, he said.
Chief Justice and Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya remarked that the BASL, which is due to mark its 50th Anniversary in a couple of years, was now starting a new chapter with a new President and office bearers.
The BASL being a professional body, carried a great responsibility, not just towards its members but also the whole society, the CJ said.
“Members of the Bar have convinced the Supreme Court that they are persons of good repute and engage efficiently in the legal profession. Therefore, they have earned the right to be heard and the right to be represented,” Chief Justice Jayasuriya added.
The right to be heard was an important part in fair hearing, he said, adding that the birth of the legal profession itself could be traced back to the recognition of the right to be represented.
BASL President Saliya Pieris said he was thankful to outgoing BASL President Kalinga Indatissa and the past office bearers. Mr Pieris added that he was deeply honoured by the confidence accorded to him by the Bar.
He stressed he would fulfill his duties to honour the confidence and trust placed on him by BASL members. He said he would also work closely with the BASL Secretary Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and the other officials.
The new BASL President pledged to pursue the association’s objectives such as maintaining the honour and independence of the Bar and the independence of the judiciary.