Better legal aid service to poor litigants

Kapila Somaratne, Panadura Group Corr.

PANADURA: Justice Minister Amarasiri Dodangoda said that he would grant funds from the next budget to expedite the development programme of the Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission to provide a better legal aid service to poor litigants.

He was addressing at the commissioning of 30th branch of the Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission at Panadura Sri Maha Viharaya road opposite the Panadura Court Complex on Monday. The Minister was accorded a warm welcome by Kalyani Karunatilleka, President of the Panadura Bar Association and its members.

The Minister said there were large number of poor litigants involved in criminal and civil cases. They do not have enough money to retain lawyers thus helping the other parties who were able to spend money to retain lawyers winning the cases.

Therefore the poor litigants have to face various difficulties. The Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission had launched a programme to provide legal aid to the poor litigants who were economically unstable. The imperialists were responsible for creating various problems in Asian countries to strengthen their power. Our country is also facing on such a situation.

He requested the young lawyers to cooperate with the Legal Aid Commission to deliver a better service to the poor litigants.

Panadura Provincial High Court Judge Malani Gunaratne paid tribute to the Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission to establish an office in Panadura to provide legal aid to poor litigants. She requested the Commission to make aware the public about the legal aid scheme launched by the Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission.

S. S. Wijeratne, President of the Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission said that the 30th office of the Sri Lanka Legal Aid Commission was opened in Panadura by the Minister of Justice with the objective of providing legal aid to the poor litigants.

The Commission would launch a programme to open legal aid offices in every Court Complex but there were no buildings for the occupation of the legal aid commission offices.

If the Minister of Justice could provide building facilities the commission is very anxious to open legal aid offices to provide legal aid to poor litigants economically bankrupt.

Kalyani Karunatilleka, President of the Panadura Bar Association also spoke.

She requested the members of the Panadura Bar Association to cooperate with the Legal Aid Commission to continue to legal aid scheme in Panadura.

Panadura District Judge Devika Abeyratne, Additional District Judge Nilmini Fernandez, Panadura Magistrate Jagath Kahadagamage were present.