Report on law reforms presented to Minister

The Family Law Reform Committee, headed by Professor Savitri Gunaskera handed over its report on reforms to the family law in Sri Lanka to the Minister of Justice and Law Reforms Milinda Moragoda last week.

The committee has identified priority areas for reform in the general law personal law governing family relations in Sri Lanka.

Although the Committee focused on reforms to the general law and Kandyan law, it also touched on some aspects of the Thesawalami and Muslim Personal law as well as interpersonal conflicts of laws arising from a diversity of systems. The Committee has noted in the report's preface that laws should try to reflect the common legal values relating to the family which is an important institution in Sri Lanka.

The Minister, having studied the recommendations of the committee, directed officials of the Ministry of Justice to implement the recommendations in the report at their earliest.

Meanwhile, the Ministry is contemplating setting up a legal information centre for the benefit of litigants, lawyers, academics and other interested parties to assist them in obtaining information related to the administration of justice in Sri Lanka.

Members of the Committee included Prof. Savitri Gunasekera (Chairperson), K. T. Chithrasiri, Judge of the Court of Appeal, Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne, Consultant, Ministry of Justice and Law Reforms, Nihal Jayamanne, P.C. Maxwell Bastiansz, Attorney-at-Law, Dhara S. Wijayatilake, Secretary, Ministry of Plan Implementation, Prof. Sharya Scharenguivel, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, Dr. Neela Gunasekera, Chairperson, National Commission on Women, Dr. Deepika Udagama, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo and Rose Wijeratne, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo.