Rs. 400m allocated:

North Court houses to be rebuilt

Ananth PALAKIDNAR

The Government has allocated Rs. 400 million to rebuild the Court houses in Jaffna.

The High Court Judge Jaffna R.T. Vicknaraja told the Sunday Observer the Ministry of Finance through the Government Agent of Jaffna has made the allocation for the reconstruction of the Court houses in Jaffna which have been in a dilapidated condition for the past several years.

"Court houses of Point Pedro, Chavakachcheri, Kayts and Mallakam will be reconstructed with the allocation made by the Government.

The Jaffna Court house under the initiative of Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva was rebuilt with World Bank funding in 2004 and the new building was opened by the Chief Justice in October 2007.

"However a special committee comprising judges of the judicial divisions of Jaffna and senior lawyers was formed on the directive of the Judicial Service Commission to look into the reconstruction of Court houses of Mallakam, Chavakachcheri, Kayts and Point Pedro which were devastated due to the disturbances and currently functioning in private buildings in the Peninsula," Vicknaraja said.

He also said that despite the strenuous conditions the judicial functions in the North are encouraging with the Bar and Bench co-operating in making the system effective in the North.