New building for SLJI:

CJ underlines importance of training for judges

Sarath MALALASEKERA

"The traditional view that training judges is unnecessary has long prevailed in most parts of the world. However, that view is now outdated," said Chief Justice Asoka de Silva addressing the opening ceremony of the new premises of the Sri Lanka Judges Institute at the Superior Complex in Hulftsdorp Wednesday.

"In the United States, judicial training began in the 1950s and in England in 1979 with the establishment of the Judicial Studies Board." Chief Justice added that the idea to set up a judges' institute in Sri Lanka was first mooted by one time Justice Ministry Secretary PB Herat, following a visit to France in 1982. It was however, three years later in 1985 that the judges' institute was established under the stewardship of Justice Soza and has since continued to render yeoman service assisted by Justice Amarasinghe, he said. Chief Justice pointed out that training of judges varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In most civil law jurisdictions judges go to special schools to be trained after graduating with a legal degree.

Afterwards they either become investigative judges or join the Attorney General's department, he said.

In common law countries judges are not trained separately but appointed from among practising attorneys, Chief Justice explained.

United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with the assistance from Germany to the Equal Access to Justice (A2J) Project organised this event.

Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem, Supreme Court Judge Justice Dr Shirani A Bandaranayake, Attorney General and President's Counsel Mohan Pieris, Justice Ministry Secretary Suhada Gamlath, Netherlands Ambassador Leoni Cuelenaer, German Ambassador and UNDP Country Director Douglas Keh and several Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts and Magistrate's Courts participated at the ceremony.