Inordinate delays, public losing confidence:

Critical look at judicial system, a must - PIA Jt. Sec.

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

People's Intellectual Assembly (PIA) Joint Secretary, Attorney-at-Law Chrishmal Warnasuriya said there was no political influence on the judiciary, unlike during the previous regime and this is where the Government has scored.

"However, we need to look at judicial reform because if the people lose faith in the judicial system, then anarchy will prevail. At the moment due to the inordinate delays in the system, the public request lawyers to settle disputes outside courts. There is also an option to give money to thugs to settle disputes resulting in the breakup of the rule of law," PIA Joint Secretary Warnasuriya told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

He said there is a need to win the confidence of the people regarding the judicial system and it can only be done by taking a critical look at the judicial system itself.

" At present we don't see the Attorney General having lunch at Temple Trees or opening the doors when the Defence Secretary comes to courts and judgments being decided at Temple Trees. I think the current situation is better than under the previous regime,"he said.

"First and foremost, we need an overhaul of the whole system. We should look at our overall judicial system and think of reforming the system to make it more user-friendly. We have to make litigation more cost-effective and address the laws delays. These delays make the public to lose faith in the judiciary," he said.

"With regard to judges and the judiciary, there is the Bangalore Code of Conduct which the public is unaware. Justice Weeramanthry who became the Vice President of the International Court of Justice chaired that committee on the Bangalore Code of Conduct for Judges with an international resolution. Except for Sri Lanka, many countries including Bangladesh have ratified the Bangalore Code of Conduct for Judges. We need to bring sweeping reforms that we promised to the people in January 2015, " he said.