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

Jathika Jana balawegaya· Colombo· 20 May 2025 ·Oral question: Oral Questions: Question Nos. 1-6

Justice & Human RightsParliamentary Procedure

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The Minister said the Ministry is aware of the Kandy Bar Association’s request regarding lawyers’ chambers, following a discussion on 14 March 2025. He stated that the Ministry does not collect data on lawyers without chambers, but the Bar Association’s 2024 register lists 1,051 lawyers in the Kandy judicial zone. He noted that a Cabinet decision of 9 September 2024 approved transferring the relevant land portion to the Ministry of Justice, with the Kandy Bar Association to enter directly into a lease agreement with the UDA and undertake construction without government funds. The Ministry has since written to the Minister of Urban Development to facilitate the Bar Association’s access to the land.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

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

¶ 02 (a)(i) At a discussion held at the Ministry of Justice and National Integration on 14.03.2025 with members of the Kandy Bar Association, they raised this issue. Accordingly, we are aware.

¶ 03 (ii) Collection of data on lawyers without chambers is not within the subject purview of the Ministry of Justice. However, since the Hon. Member has raised this question, I obtained information from the Bar Association. As per the 2024 Electoral Register, 1,051 lawyers are registered in the Kandy judicial zone. We do not maintain data on how many are currently practising, as that is not within the Ministry’s subject purview.

¶ 04 (iii) By letter No. MOJ/10/1/02/17/11/13 dated 15.08.2024, the then Secretary to the Ministry of Justice informed the Director-General of the Urban Development Authority that steps were being taken to obtain Cabinet approval to transfer the relevant land portion to the Ministry of Justice. There is a Cabinet Decision No. අමප/24/1732/614/064 dated 09.09.2024, during the tenure of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, to transfer that land portion to the Ministry of Justice. It provides that, without spending government funds, the Kandy Bar Association should enter directly into a lease agreement with the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and carry out construction of the lawyers’ chambers. Accordingly, by letter dated 24.09.2024, the Kandy Bar Association was informed in writing.

¶ 05 (iv) Not applicable.

¶ 06 First, I must say that we fully recognise the interdependence of the courthouse and the legal profession; both are essential for each other to function.

¶ 07 (v) Since the Ministry of Justice does not construct chambers for lawyers, we do not maintain information under that subject. However, following the Bar Association’s request at the meeting on 14.03.2025, we intervened to request the UDA, by letter dated 28.03.2025 to the Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing, to facilitate the Bar Association to obtain the said land portion.

¶ 08 (b) Not applicable.

Provenance

Source: Hansard, Tuesday, 20 May 2025 ·No. 1749010823009957 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law - Minister of Justice and National Integration. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 May 2025. No. 1749010823009957. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/25749