Provincial Appeal Courts reduce backlog of cases

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO: Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC yesterday said that the public is reluctant to come before the Court seeking justice and are used to tolerate injustice as they have to undergo more difficulties if they turn towards Courts.

He made this observation on the inconveniences faced by litigants as a result of the backlog of the cases at the opening of the Western Province-Provincial High Court for Civil Appeals held at Hulftsdorp.

Chief Justice observed that although they were not interested in celebrations, this event should be commemorated as the civil appeals that were filed before the Court of appeal in Colombo will be heard before the Provincial High Courts for Civil Appeals de-centerlised for various parts of the country that would help minimise the backlog of cases.

He stated that the backlog of the cases before the Court of Appeal in 1993 when he was the President of the Court of Appeal was 19,000 but he managed to reduce it to 11,000 after two years.

Each year nearly 1600 appeal cases were filed adding nearly 1,000 cases to the backlog and by the end of 2006 the backlog increased to 14,000.

He further observed that Provincial High Courts for Civil Appeals were established as a solution to the backlog of the cases.

More than 8,303 civil appeals that were filed before the Court of Appeal since 2001 will be heard before the Provincial High Courts for Civil Appeals around the country and 3868 cases will be heard before the Western Provincial High Courts for Civil Appeals in Kalutara, Gampaha and Colombo.

He stated that refurbished record rooms and Judges' official residencies were used for the Court houses of the Provincial High Courts for Civil Appeals. Western Provincial High Court for Civil Appeal Judge and Colombo High Court Judge Upali Abeyratne addressing the gathering stated that although the Western Provincial High Court for Civil Appeal was officially opened today hearings had already started and out of 261 civil appeals that were filed in 2001, 98 were completed. He also stated that with the increasing facilities that hearing of the cases will be expedited.

Secretary to the Justice and Judicial Reforms Ministry Suhada Gamlath stated the progressive act of establishing Provincial High Courts for Civil Appeals was a concept of the Chief Justice.

It will benefit litigants all over the country who had to come to Colombo wasting their money as well as valuable time and who had to walk inside the court complex being unable to find the proper court house or his own counsel.

Attorney General C.R. De Silva, President of the Court of Appeal Justice K. Sri Pawan, Secretary to the Judicial Commission Chandra Jayatilake, Colombo High Court Judges, District Judges of Colombo, Colombo Chief Magistrate Kusala Sarojani Weerawardana and Additional Magistrates and President's Counsel Nihal Jayamanne also were present.