Sri Lanka will establish seven new courts in an effort to clear a backlog of around 1.1 million civil and criminal cases, but a severe shortage of judges remains the key constraint, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said.
The new courts will include five courts at the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court Complex, comprising civil High Courts and commercial courts, he said.
The exact type of courts to be set up will depend on case requirements, Nanayakkara told reporters.
However, he underscored that Sri Lanka has far fewer judges than international norms, which is the main reason for mounting delays.
“In most countries, for every one million people there are about 40 to 60 judges, but in Sri Lanka we have only about 20,” he said.
As a result, individual judges are burdened with 3,000 to 4,000 cases, while some courts are handling 2,000 to 3,000 cases each, he said.
“When there are this many cases, the number of days between hearings inevitably increases,” Nanayakkara said, contributing to prolonged delays in the justice system.
He also pointed to a shortage of supporting legal staff, which has compounded the problem. As of December 2024, there were 4,422 vacancies, though this has since been reduced to 4,130.
“Recruitment is currently under way, and we hope to fill all vacancies by March–April,” he said.