By: Isuru Parakrama
Colombo (LNW): The comprehensive renovation of the Superior Court complex in Hulftsdorp in Colombo under the financial and technical assistance of the Chinese government commenced yesterday (31) afternoon, under the patronage of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa, and Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong.
The project is being undertaken at a cost of US $ 33.6 million, and is expected to be completed in 32 months under two phases. The first phase expects to renovate the section where the Court of Appeal is located and under the second phase, the section where the Supreme Court is located.
The renovation is scheduled to be completed by October 17, 2025.
The Chinese government assisted Sri Lanka in establishing the Supreme Court complex in 1988, in a move to further strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two nations, and subsequent renovations were followed up in 2012 and 2016. On December 20, 2021, an agreement was signed between China’s Ministry of Commerce, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Justice, and the China International Economic Cooperation Agency in relation to these refurbishments, but the process was delayed due to a number of reasons, including the Covid pandemic and the economic crisis in the country.
