Chief Justice retires:

Quick access to SC judgments via internet

Sarath MALALASEKERA

Steps have been taken to open a website for the Supreme Court where any judgment given by the Supreme Court can be seen within two to three hours from delivery, said outgoing Chief Justice Asoka de Silva addressing a ceremonial sitting on Wednesday at the Superior Court Complex to bid farewell to him who retired yesterday.

"As we live in a technologically advanced world, we need to keep pace with the new developments," he added.

New cases from this year are to be computerized and steps are being taken under the supervision of Justice Suresh Chandra to improve this system. When properly implemented it will change the way the Supreme Court has functioned. It will be fully computerized and inter-connected. Stenographers will upload dictated orders instantly to the relevant case file which will bear a specific bar code. Most of its content will be in soft copies accessible to lawyers and Judges.

It will enable any interested party to view the status of their case via the internet.

The foundation for this has already been placed, with the establishment of the Supreme Court IT Unit, the outgoing Chief Justice said.

Acknowledging that there is an increased number of females in the profession, he pointed out the importance of constituting a Bench of three female Judges.

"I hope that the next Chief Justice will do it," he said.

The outgoing Chief Justice said "I was appointed Chief Justice when Sri Lanka was going through a transitional period with the end to a nearly thirty-year long war. With the opportunity to visit the North and East, I was able to lay the foundation stone for new High Courts in Mannar and Vavuniya, new Court complexes in Mallakam, Chavakachcheri and Mullaitivu. I even visited the Delft Island to open a new Court house," he said. Accompanied on the Bench with the Chief Justice were Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayake, Justice Shirani Tillakawardena, Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunga, Justice Saleem Marsoof PC, K Sripavan, Justice PA Ratnayake, Justice Chandra Ekanayake, Justice SI Imam and Justice Suresh Chandra.

Court of Appeal President Sathya Hettige, PC and the other judges of the Court of Appeal, Colombo High Court Judges, Colombo Disrict Judges and Colombo Chief Magistrate and the other Additional Magistrates occupied the dias.

Several President's Counsel, senior and junior members of the Official and Unofficial Bar, family members and friends of the outgoing Chief Justice were also present at the ceremony.