Sri Lankan gov't further digitizes judicial system with e-court project

COLOMBO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday approved an allocation of 150 million rupees (about 484,653 U.S. dollars) to support the implementation of the country's e-court project.

Cabinet spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said that the government has identified the digitalization of the judicial system as a national priority. As part of the first phase of this process, the Supreme Court is currently implementing a dedicated website and an electronic case management system to manage court case files. These systems are intended to serve as the foundation for the wider e-court project.

Under the approved plan, the website and electronic case management system developed for the Supreme Court will be adapted and extended to courts across the island, including the Court of Appeal, the Judicial Service Commission, and the Institute of Judges. The project also includes plans to establish a national judicial data network linking judicial institutions.

The e-court project is expected to help address long-standing issues within the judicial system, including delays in case hearings, limited transparency of judicial data, and procedural inefficiencies that have affected timely access to justice. ■