September 02, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has issued a firm directive to the nation’s judiciary, mandating that all existing case backlogs across the court system be resolved by December 31 this year.
The unprecedented directive is aimed at addressing the mounting delays that have long plagued the justice delivery process.
The directive, which has been formally communicated to District Judges, Magistrates, High Court Judges, and Additional District Judges, follows an assessment of unresolved cases across the country’s legal system in recent weeks.
Judges have now been instructed to prioritise the clearing of pending cases without further delay. Each presiding officer will bear full administrative responsibility for ensuring that their respective courtrooms meet the deadline.
The Commission has clarified that accountability for progress—or the lack thereof—will rest squarely on the shoulders of judicial officers overseeing each jurisdiction.
To support the enforcement of this mandate, the JSC is set to carry out periodic inspections at the regional level, assessing the pace and quality of case disposal. All judges have been instructed to submit monthly progress reports, detailing the status of backlog clearance efforts within their courts.
