COURTSYSTEM

OFSRILANKA

SriLankacourtsSystem
The courtstructure consists of a Supreme Court, a Court of Appeal, High Courts, Municipal
Courts,andPrimaryCourts.Additionally,therearenumeroustribunals,etc.
In cases involving criminal law, a Magistrates Court or a High Court is the only court with
primaryjurisdiction;therespectivelegaldomainsofeachareprovidedintheCodeofCriminal
Procedure.
The preponderant majority of criminal law cases are initiated at a Magistrates Court. These
casesmaybeinitiatedbyanypoliceofficer,orpublicservant,withawrittenororalcomplaint
tothemagistrate(seesectiononMagistratesCourt).
MurdertrialsandvariousoffensesagainsttheStateoriginateinaHighCourt(seesectionon
HighCourts).
OriginaljurisdictionovermostcivilmatterslieswiththerelevantDistrictCourt(seesectionon
DistrictCourts).

TheSupremeCourt
TheSupremeCourtisthehighestandfinalcourtofrecord,andexercisesfinalcivilandcriminal
appellatejurisdiction.
Litigantswhodonotagreewithadecisionoftheoriginalcourt,beitcivil,criminal,orCourtof
Appeal, may take the case before the Supreme Court, with permission from the Court of
Appeal,orspecialpermissionfromtheSupremeCourt.TheSupremeCourt,however,willonly
agreetoconsidercasesinvolvingasubstantiallegalissue.
TheSupremeCourtiscomposedofaChiefJusticeandnotlessthansix,andnotmorethanten,
otherjudges.
TheSupremeCourtisentrustedwithcertainexclusivejurisdictions.Subjecttoprovisionsinthe
Constitution, the Supreme Court exercises jurisdiction over constitutional matters and
fundamentalrightsissues.
Also, the Supreme Court exercises sole and exclusive jurisdiction over questions concerning
the constitutionality of a parliamentary bill or a particular provision in the bill, subject to
certainconstitutionalrequirements.TheSupremeCourthastheexclusivejurisdictiontohear
anddetermineissuesrelatingtotheinterpretationoftheConstitution.
TheSupremeCourtalsohasthesoleandexclusivejurisdictiontohearanddetermineissues
relatingtotheinfringementoffundamentalrightsbyExecutiveorAdministrativeaction.These
fundamental rights include freedom of thought, conscience and religion; freedom from
torture; right to equality; freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention and punishment;

prohibitionofretroactivepenallegislation;andfreedomofspeech,assembly,associationand
movement.
TheConstitutionprovidesfortemporaryrestrictionsonfundamentalrightsifnationalsecurity
issuesareinvolved.
The Supreme Court also exercises consultative jurisdiction. If the President of the Republic
deems that a question of law or fact that has arisen is of such a nature and of such public
importance, the President may refer the question directly to the Supreme Court for an
opinion.

CourtofAppeal
TheCourtofAppealisthefirstappellatecourtfordecisionsofalloriginalcourtsandcertain
Tribunals.
TheCourtofAppealiscomposedofthePresidentoftheCourt,andnotlessthansix,andnot
more than eleven other judges. Many cases at the Court of Appeal are presided overbuy a
singlejudge.
TheCourtofAppealhearsappealsagainstjudgmentsoftheHighCourts.Itexercisesappellate
jurisdictionforthecorrectionoferrorsinfactorinlawataHighCourt,oranyCourtoffirst
instance, or Tribunal, or other Institution. In addition to the jurisdiction to affirm, reverse,
correct, or modify a judgment, the Court of Appeal may give directions to a Court of first
instance,Tribunal,orotherInstitution,ororderanewtrial,ororderadditionalhearingsasthe
CourtofAppealdeemsappropriate.
TheCourtofAppealalsoexercisesthepowertograntandissue,asprovidedbylaw,writsof
certiorari,prohibition,procedento,mandamus,andquowarranto.
The Court exercises jurisdiction to grant writs of habeas corpus in order to bring before the
Courtapersonwhohastobedealtwithaccordingtothelaw,ortobringbeforetheCourta
personillegallyorimproperlydetainedinpublicorprivatecustody.

HighCourts
TrialsataHighCourtareconductedbytheState(SriLanka),throughtheAttorneyGenerals
Department.TheAttorneyGeneralsDepartmentprosecutesonbehalfoftheState.
MurdertrialsandvariousoffensesagainsttheStatearetriedattheHighCourt;othercriminal
offensesaretriedataMagistratesCourt.
While some High Court trials will have a jury, some trials will not have a jury. The types of
cases that require a jury are provided in the Second Schedule of the Judicature Act No.2 of
1978.Also,theAttorneyGeneralhastheauthoritytodeterminewhetheracasethatdoesnot

fallintoacategoryprovidedintheSecondScheduleoftheJudicatureActNo.2of1978should
nonethelesshaveajury.
ThePenalCodestipulatesthetypesofcasesarguedinaHighCourt:ThePenalCodedefines
mostofthecriminaloffensesknowntoourlaw.AndtheCodeofCriminalProcedureAct.No:
15 of 1979 sets out which of these offenses [can be tried] by each court [High Court and
MagistratesCourt].13
TheHighCourtiscomposedofnotlessthantenandnotmorethanfortyjudges.ThisCourtsits
in16provincesinthecountry(16HighCourts).
The Provincial High Court sits in the following cities: Colombo, Kalutara, Galle,
Matara,Batticaloa, Jaffna, Chilaw, Negombo, Gampaha, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Kandy,
Avissawella,Ratnapura,Badulla,andAnuradhapura.

DistrictCourts
District Courts are theCourts of first instance for civil cases. District Courts have jurisdiction
overallcivilcasesnotexpresslyassignedtothePrimaryCourtoraMagistratesCourt.
Sri Lanka has 54judicial districts. Every District Court is a court of record and is vested with
unlimitedoriginaljurisdictioninallcivil,revenue,trust,insolvencyandtestamentarymatters,
otherthanissuesthatareassignedtoanyothercourtbylaw.
CertainspecificcivilissueshandledbytheDistrictCourtsinclude:
i.Casesrelatedtoownershipofland.
ii.Actionbylandlordstoejecttenants
iii.ActiontorecoverdebtsofmorethanRs.1,500.
iv.Actioninconnectionwithtrademarkandpatentrights,andinfringementofcopyrightlaws.
v.ClaimsforcompensationofmorethanRs.1,500forinjuriescausedbynegligence.
vi.Divorcecases(Formerly,divorcecaseswerehandledbythenowdefunctFamilyCourts).
Commercialdisputesthataremorethanthreemillionrupeesinmonetaryvaluefallwithinthe
purviewoftheHighCourtinColombo,theadministrativecapital,inaccordancewiththeHigh
CourtoftheProvinces(SpecialProvisions),ActNo.10of1996.

MagistratesCourts
Each Judicial division has one Magistrates Court, and there are 74 judicial divisions in Sri
Lanka.
EachMagistratesCourtisvestedwithoriginaljurisdictionovercriminaloffenses(otherthan
offensescommittedafterindictmentintheHighCourt.)
Incasesinvolvingcriminallaw,theMagistratesCourtsandtheHighCourtaretheonlyCourts
withprimaryjurisdiction.TherespectivedomainsoftheseCourtsare
detailedintheCodeofCriminalProcedure.
Appeals from these courts of first instance may be made to the Court of Appeal and, under
certaincircumstances,totheSupremeCourt,whichexercisesfinalappellatejurisdiction.
ThevastmajorityofthenationscriminalcasesaretriedattheMagistratesCourtslevel,which
formsthelowestlevelofthejudicialsystem.
CasesmaybeinitiatedataMagistratesCourtbyanypoliceofficerorbyanyoneelsemaking
an oral or written complaint to the Magistrate. The Magistrate is empowered to make an
initial investigation of the complaint, and to determine whether his or her Court has proper
jurisdictionoverthematter,whetherthemattershouldbetriedbytheHighCourt,orwhether
themattershouldbedismissed.

PrimaryCourts
EachPrimaryCourtisvestedwiththefollowingjurisdictions:
i.Originalciviljurisdictionovercasesinvolvingdebt,damages,demands,orclaimsthatdonot
exceedRs.1,500.
ii.Enforcementofbylawsbylocalauthoritiesanddisputesrelatingtorecoveryofrevenueby
theselocalauthorities.
iii.Exclusivecriminaljurisdictionovercasesrelatingtooffensesprescribedbyregulationby
theJusticeMinister.
iv. Offenses in violation of the provisions of any Parliamentary Act, or subsidiary legislation,
thatisrelatedtojurisdictionvestedinthePrimaryCourts.
ThePrimaryCourtsareestablishedundertheJudicatureAct,No.2of1978.
There are seven Primary Courts: One each in Anamaduwa, Angunukolapelessa, Kandy,
Mallakam,Pilessa,WellawayaandWennappuwa.
Inallotherdivisions,theMagistratesCourtexercisesthejurisdictionofthePrimaryCourts.

MediationBoards
TheprincipalfeaturesoftheMediationBoardsAct,No.72of1988asamendedbyAct,No.15
of1997areasfollows:
Principalobjective
The Act provides for the legal framework necessary for institutionalising Mediation Boards,
which are empowered to resolve, by the process of mediation, all disputes referred to it by
disputingpartiesaswellasincertaininstances,byCourts.
TheMediationBoardsCommission
TheMediationBoardsCommission(theCommission)consistsoffivemembersappointedby
the President for a period of three years. Three of the members are required to be from
among persons who have held judicial office in the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal (the
highestcourtsintheland),oneofwhomisappointedasChairmanoftheCommission.
The Commission is vested with the power of appointing Mediators. It is also vested with
powers of dismissal and disciplinary control of Mediators and of supervising and controlling
theperformanceanddischargeofthefunctionsanddutiesofMediators.
The Commission functions as an independent body and the mandatory inclusion therein of
persons of the caliber of retired Judges of the Appellate Courts is an attempt to ensure its
independenceandinspireconfidenceinitsimpartiality.
TheCommissionuponnominationsmadebyOrganizationsofthearea,andconsequenttoa
trainingcoursemakestheappointmentofMediatorstoPanels.
In order to ensure that Mediators are impartial and are free of any political bias, the Act
specifies that only Organisations of a nonpolitical character can nominate persons for
appointmenttoMediationpanels.
Animportantaspectoftheappointmentprocedureisthatnominatedpersonsarerequiredto
undergoatrainingcourseinmediationskillsandtechniques(conductedbyMediatorTrainers)
atwhichtheaptitudeofthenomineesisassessed.TheCommissionappointsasMediatorsonly
such persons as are reported to possess the required aptitude, skills and techniques.In
implementingtheMediationBoardsAct,muchemphasisisplacedonthetrainingofMediators
andofMediatorTrainers.
Thereare5,475trainedMediatorsfunctioningintheCountryasatOctober1999.