Sajith Calls for Special Parliamentary Committee to Tackle Court Delays and Judicial Reform

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has urged Parliament to establish a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the persistent delays plaguing Sri Lanka's court system and to drive meaningful judicial reforms across the country.

A Push for Accountability in the Justice System

Premadasa, who leads the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), made the call amid growing public frustration over the slow pace of justice in Sri Lanka, where court cases routinely drag on for years — and in some instances, decades — before reaching a verdict.

The Opposition Leader argued that a dedicated Parliamentary Select Committee would provide the necessary oversight and authority to identify the root causes of judicial delays and recommend concrete reforms to address them.

Why This Matters for Sri Lankans

The issue of court backlogs is not a new one in Sri Lanka. Thousands of citizens — many of them from vulnerable and low-income communities — are forced to endure prolonged legal proceedings, often at significant financial and emotional cost. Critics have long maintained that the slow judicial process undermines public confidence in the rule of law.

Among the key concerns that such a committee would be expected to examine are:

• The substantial backlog of pending cases in both lower and higher courts
• Insufficient judicial resources, including the number of sitting judges and court staff
• Procedural inefficiencies that contribute to repeated postponements
• The need for modernisation and digitalisation of court processes
• Structural reforms to strengthen judicial independence and accountability

Opposition's Broader Reform Agenda

Premadasa's proposal reflects the SJB's broader push to position itself as a champion of institutional reform and good governance. The Opposition has consistently argued that meaningful progress on economic recovery and social stability cannot be achieved without a functioning and trustworthy justice system.

The people of this country deserve swift and fair justice. A Parliamentary Select Committee is the right mechanism to shine a light on what is broken and chart a path forward.

The proposal now awaits a response from the government, with many legal professionals and civil society groups expected to lend their support to the initiative. Whether Parliament moves forward with establishing such a committee remains to be seen, but the call has reignited a long-overdue national conversation about the state of Sri Lanka's judiciary.