37 High Courts to Clear 40,000 Backlogged Cases
A total of 40,299 cases are currently backlogged in Sri Lanka’s High Courts, with only 37 High Courts operating across the country to hear them, Professor Prathiba Mahanama revealed.
Calculations indicate that even if these 37 High Courts hear cases continuously every single day, it will take at least 1,089 days—nearly three full years—to clear the existing workload. In light of these structural delays, the government is currently considering raising the mandatory retirement age for judges across all court levels.
The 37 functioning High Courts were established following recent government expansion measures, which saw Commercial High Courts increased from three to five, and Criminal High Courts expanded from eight to eleven within a short timeframe.
As part of judicial infrastructure improvements, former ministerial residences have been repurposed into courtrooms:
The former residence of ex-Minister Sanath Nishantha now houses a Three-Judge High Court Bench.
The former residence of ex-Minister Keheliya Rambukwella hosts a Permanent Three-Judge High Court Bench, currently holding daily proceedings into the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.
The former residence of Dilum Amunugama has been transformed into a Small Claims Court.
A separate Permanent Three-Judge High Court Bench has been established exclusively to hear the Easter Sunday terror attack cases.
To expedite bribery and corruption trials, Halls 06, 10, and 11 at the Colombo High Court have been allocated to function continuously as three active courtrooms.
Additionally, District Court powers have been granted to eight regional Magistrate’s Courts—including those in Deyiyandara, Angunakolapelessa, Bibile, and Galgamuwa—allowing them to dual-function as both Magistrate’s and District Courts.
Courts in Ratnapura, Gampaha, Anuradhapura, and Ampara that were previously closed due to staff shortages have been reactivated, while new Magistrate’s Courts have been established in Puttalam, Wellawaya, Hatton, and Welisara.
These rapid judicial expansions aim to accelerate the clearance of the nationwide backlog, which stands at over 1.1 million pending cases.
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