Sri Lanka's Chief Justice and Ten Supreme Court Judges on Official Visit to India

A delegation of ten Sri Lankan Supreme Court judges, led by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, undertook an official visit to India last week, from the 7th to the 13th.

During this visit, they had the opportunity to tour the Indian Supreme Court complex in New Delhi, at the invitation of the new Indian Chief Justice Surya Kanth. A ceremonial special court sitting was convened, where Sri Lankan Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena presided over the court as a guest judge on the bench, alongside Indian Chief Justice Kanth and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The other Sri Lankan Supreme Court judges were seated in front of the bench to observe the court proceedings.

A notable highlight of the visit was a welcoming speech delivered by Mr. Vikas Singh, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of India, who commended Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena's efforts to usher the Sri Lankan legal system into a new era. Mr. Singh recalled a statement made by Chief Justice Surasena at an event concerning the digitalization of the legal system, emphasizing the changes introduced to modernize Sri Lanka's judicial system.

He further noted that these measures, particularly the digitalization of the judiciary, are being implemented with the aim of resolving issues such as 'legal delays' and case backlogs.

Furthermore, the program focused on enhancing the capabilities of judges and facilitating information exchange. Indian Supreme Court officials provided a detailed briefing to the Sri Lankan delegation of judges on the technological modernization program being implemented in India. Indian court registrars demonstrated the e-filing system used by the Indian Supreme Court and other electronic systems that have been implemented.

In addition, presentations were made on new case management systems and administrative reforms. The Sri Lankan judges were briefed on India's experiences regarding the use of electronic court documents and the integration of technology into daily judicial functions.

The Sri Lankan delegation also participated in programs held in Delhi on December 12th, visiting the Delhi High Court and its International Legal Arbitration and Mediation Centres.