The Hon. (Mrs.) Anushka Thilakarathne, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, we are discussing the Bill to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979 — a law that affects not only the courts but the general public.

¶ 02 Before addressing the Bill, let me recall: “A nation that does not create the new does not advance.” We must innovate, experiment, learn from mistakes, and move forward. Across our history at many crossroads, we reformed education, introduced new learning and assessments, and supported industries and entrepreneurs to create new products. Likewise, with social reform must come legal reform, closing gaps to safeguard peace and the rule of law.

¶ 03 When the National People’s Power assumed office, the people believed none of us would place anyone above the law or misuse political power to escape it. They expected us to fix loopholes exploited by the politically connected and build a country where the law is equal and fair to all.

¶ 04 These reforms did not emerge overnight. Many worked hard over time; we thank them.

¶ 05 There is a saying: justice delayed is justice denied. Justice is more than a courthouse; it requires many supporting elements to be complete. By that measure, this reform is valuable.

¶ 06 A major recent problem has been the massive backlog. According to the Ministry of Justice, in 2023 the High Courts had 29,664 cases, of which 21,937 were concluded to date; as at end-2023 the Magistrates’ Courts had 805,502 pending cases and Child Magistrates’ Courts 1,215. By 30.06.2024, High Courts had 27,324 pending, and Magistrates’ Courts 813,726 pending. These are the people’s problems. People ask us when their cases will end; many died before seeing judgment in their lifetime.

¶ 07 We welcome this approach. Challenges will arise: staffing, facilities, equipment, funding — but we must resolve them step by step. From the outset, our Government said it would focus on three pillars: a programme to eradicate rural poverty; digitization; and Clean Sri Lanka. Some in the Opposition mocked digitization as impractical. We started it anyway and will not abandon what we begin.

¶ 08 I must also note: today we debate a vital Bill; yet the Opposition goes outside and claims the Government does not care for people. Look now — except for one, no Opposition Members are even in the Chamber during this vital debate. Building a country cannot be done by passing laws alone; we need your cooperation — to defeat racism and preserve a peaceful environment — and to support measures that improve people’s daily lives. Sadly, though they speak loudly of rights and suffering, none are present now.