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

The Minister stated that under the Code of Criminal Procedure, criminal trials should proceed on a day-to-day basis, with long adjournments being exceptional and proceedings held in open court. He said state properties, including former “Minister bungalows,” were being repurposed as court facilities to expedite cases because new courthouses cannot be built immediately. He noted that several courts had already been opened and a further five or six were planned, framing the measure as part of the Government’s pledge to reduce delays in criminal justice.