Furniture, equipment for Point Pedro courts

A consignment of furniture and equipment worth over Rs. 1.2 million was donated to the Point Pedro courts complex by the Equal Access to Justice Project of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The consignment of goods, which included computers, fax machines, and office cupboards was handed over by Justice and Law Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda at a ceremony held at the Point Pedro court premises, recently. The distribution was part of the soon-to-be-launched Northern Justice initiative by the Ministry of Justice and Law Reforms to restore the judicial and legal system of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Minister Moragoda directed Ministry officers to submit a report detailing the work they need to carry out in order to effectively achieve this situation.

As a result, several ministry officials had visited areas in the North to assess the judicial infrastructure and facilities as well as to explore the human dimensions of the problem there.

At present the District and Magistrate's courts are functioning in Mallakam, Pt. Pedro, Kayts, Jaffna and Chavakachcheri in the Jaffna District. While District and Magistrate's courts are operating in the Vavuniya District, there are no law courts functioning in the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts at present.

However, a new High Court will be set up in Kilinochchi shortly once the recommendations of the judicial delimitation commission are implemented early next year. Under this mandate, a new district court will also be set up in Kilinochchi and another in Mullaitvu, while a circuit court will be set up in Velanai.