In Pix: Newly refurbished Court of Appeal building declared open

The refurbished Court of Appeal building, part of the Aluthkade Superior Court Complex renovation, and the multi-story facility constructed under the first phase of the Adikarana Piyasa project were officially declared open last morning.

The ceremony was graced by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, and Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong.

The Superior Court Complex was originally gifted to Sri Lanka by the People’s Republic of China in 1988. An agreement to renovate the complex was reached in 2016 and officially signed in 2021 between the two governments. Renovation work commenced in April 2023 with a funding allocation of 240 million Chinese Yuan. Measures were taken to ensure that the original appearance and structure of the buildings were not compromised during the refurbishment.

The first phase of the project included the construction of 11 new Court of Appeal courtrooms, comprising 7-judge, 5-judge, and 3-judge bench courtrooms. Additionally, 20 official rooms for the justices, office facilities for court staff, a new main control room with an automated CCTV system, dedicated parking facilities for justices, a canteen with modern amenities, elevators, and three record rooms were added to the complex.

Future phases of the project will focus on the renovation of district and high courts (Phase 2), refurbishment of the justice ministry complex (Phase 3), and the installation of official housing quarters (Phase 4).

Pix by Akila Jayawardena