FIRST SPECIAL TRIAL AT BAR TO COMMENCE NEXT WEEK

The first ever three judge bench High Court, ‘Special Trial at Bar’ to hear murders, frauds and other financial crimes that have attracted public and media attention will be set up in the third week of July in Colombo.

Chief Justice, Priyasath Dep has nominated High Court Justices Sampath Abeykone, Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Janaki Rajaratne to sit in the bench of the first Special Trial at Bar.

Justice Ministry Secretary W.m.m.adhikari said the Sri Lanka Navy has promised to hand over the renovated old Traffic Court building at Hulftsdorf on July 15th and added the trials could be started in mid July.the Justice Ministry had earlier planned to open the first Special Trial at Bar on July 4th but renovations could not be finished by then.

Three High Court judges will take the bench at these special High Courts on Day-to-day trials at Bar and trial will be held in two sessions, in the morning and afternoon. The new set of Special Trial at Bar expected to ease laws delays and expedite the administration of justice high calibre criminal cases.

Although a circular had been issued to judges by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) directing that trials over- five years old be held day-to-day, it is observed more in the breach or not carried out properly.

‘The proviso to section 263(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Act, No. 15 of 1979 states that every trial in the High Court with a jury or without a jury shall as far as practicable, be held day-to-day. Despite this legislative provision, trials are not held dayto-day and this has resulted in an enormous backlog of cases in the High Court.

At the end of 2015, there were approximately 16,960, cases pending in the High Courts islandwide. The total number of cases pending in the High Courts at the end of 2016 was 16,463 and the total number of cases pending up to September in the year 2017 was 17,565.

Chief Justice will appoint judges to these special High Courts and refer the cases to them on their merit sent to the Hon. CJ by the Attorney General.