The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the answer is as follows.

¶ 02 (a) (i) With the vision of building a just and law-abiding society, the Government Analyst’s Department (GAD) was established to provide analytical, expert and advisory services in the fields of forensic science and food science to the Judiciary, law enforcement and other institutions. It is Sri Lanka’s only State forensic laboratory, comprising two main divisions: Forensic Science and Food Science. The Department receives a very high volume of case items and samples for analysis, a large proportion relating to narcotics.

¶ 03 Beyond issuing analytical reports under validated procedures and conditions, duties include training and lectures for the Tri-Forces, Police and other State officers; providing technical evaluations for procurement in this and other Departments; expert testimony before Courts; and crime scene examinations and related reports.

¶ 04 (ii) As at 30.06.2025, there are 125 vacancies. The detailed cadre and vacancy statement is provided in Annex 1.

¶ 05 (iii) Yes, many court cases are delayed due to non-receipt of Analyst’s reports in time.

¶ 06 (iv) Measures to issue reports on time include: - Streamlining workflows and prioritization, especially for narcotics and court-deadline cases; - Recruitment to fill vacancies across analyst and technical grades; - Capacity enhancement through equipment upgrades and laboratory expansion; - Training programmes to improve productivity and turnaround times; - Strengthening inter-agency coordination to reduce resubmissions and incomplete submissions.

¶ 07 (b) Does not arise.

¶ 08 Annex 1 (extract): Government Analyst’s Department Cadre as at 30.06.2025, showing approved positions and vacancies across Scientific Service grades, administrative, accounting, technical, ICT, development officer, language translator, driver and support services, with total vacancies 125.