CJ lauds Commercial High Court

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO: Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva (PC) yesterday said the Commercial High Court was exemplary as it was functioning efficiently.

It was concluding a larger number of cases annually, drastically bringing down the backlog of cases and laws delays.

The Chief Justice made this observation yesterday at a simple opening ceremony of a modified area in the Court Building itself for dining for the Colombo Commercial High Court staff. Such a facility was lacking from its initiating in 1996.

The Chief Justice noted that the Commercial High Court completed hearing 500 cases in 2005 but only 331 cases were filed that year reducing the backlog of the cases.

The Chief Justice stated that a case being filed in the Commercial High Court finished within one and half years and if its judgement were appealed before the Supreme Court it took another six months to complete. As a whole it took around two years to complete a case after being filed.

He also stated that earlier it was planned to complete a case before Commercial High Court within three years but to complete it within two years was its extraordinary achievement.

The Chief Justice also said that though the Commercial High Court seemed minor it plays a pivotal role with regard to the economy.

He said that all these feats of the Commercial High Court was a cooperative effort of its Judges, lawyers and the staff.

The building was modified using the fund granted by the Justice and Judicial Reforms Ministry. Secretary to the Judicial Services Commission Chandra Jayatilake, Commercial High Court Judges K.T. Chithrasiri and A.W.A Salam and Colombo High Court Judges participated.