Judges shortage: 40,000 cases stuck in High Courts

A significant backlog of over 40,000 cases is currently stalled in Sri Lanka's High Courts, primarily due to a critical shortage of judges. Professor and lawyer Prathiba Mahanama Hewa stated that approximately 40,299 cases of various types are pending across the country's High Courts.

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Approximately 40,299 cases of various types are stuck in High Courts across the country due to the shortage of judges and other factors.

Of the total pending cases, a substantial 27,376 are criminal matters. Hewa highlighted that while 37 High Courts are operational nationwide, only three are specifically designated to hear bribery and corruption cases. This specialization, while necessary, contributes to the overall congestion in the judicial system.

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Of these, twenty-seven thousand three hundred and seventy-six are criminal cases.

To address the delays and expedite the resolution of these pending cases, a proposal has been put forth to the government. Hewa recommends increasing the number of High Courts that handle criminal cases from the current limited number to sixty. He noted that the existing courts are severely overburdened, with each court being required to handle approximately 800 cases, leading to significant delays.

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To expedite the delayed trials, the professor proposed to the government that the number of High Courts hearing criminal cases should be increased to sixty.

Furthermore, Hewa pointed out that Sri Lanka's number of courts is insufficient when compared to other countries globally. He urged the government to take immediate measures to enhance the facilities available in the High Courts. This judicial bottleneck is also reportedly a major contributing factor to the overcrowding in prisons across the island.

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Compared to other countries in the world, the number of courts in Sri Lanka is not sufficient at all.