In order to empower the capacity development and mediation process, distribution of laptops to mediation training officers under the leadership of the Minister of Justice…

The second phase of the program of awarding computer laptops to Mediation Program Officers and Development Officers (Mediation) to strengthen the capacity development of officials working at the regional level and the mediation process under the Asia Foundation and British Council SEDR (Assist in effective dispute resolution) project under the financial allocation of the European Union, courts, It was held in the morning today (16) at the Ministry of Justice Auditorium under the chairmanship of the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, President’s Attorney Counsel, Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapaksha. Under the second phase, 97 laptops are to be provided.

On the basis of technical and organizational cooperation of the Asian Foundation and the British Council on the financial support of the European Union, under the project Supporting Dispute Resolution (SEDR) implemented together with the Mediation Boards Commission, the mediation process is strengthened, with the aim of popularizing it among the community without resorting to the Civil Disputes Court. Many programs are being implemented to expand the possibility of referral for solutions through mediation. Under that, the European Union has provided financial allocations of 7 million euros.

To improve the activities of community conciliation boards, to expand and improve the activities of land-specific conciliation boards, to solve community problems and improve community level grievance redressal activities, to demonstrate the benefits of mediation and to encourage the use of mediation services. In order to achieve these objectives, these laptops are provided to empower the mediation process and capacity development of the mediation officers working at the regional level.

These computer laptops are going to be used to make the collection of data information related to the mediation process at the regional level efficient, and to popularize the use of the mediation service at the regional level.

Under the first phase of this project, the distribution of 70 laptops was done in 2022, and in the next phases, laptops will be distributed to other officers. Technical training regarding the use of computers will also be provided to the officers.
Addressing the laptop distribution ceremony, the Minister of Justice said:
The support provided by the European Union, the British Council and the Asia Foundation is appreciated in order to improve the mediation system in Sri Lanka. Delay in cases can be mentioned as a serious problem facing the judicial process. Many measures have been taken to reduce the delay in cases. It should be mentioned that the conciliation system is a method of solving the problems of the people in a friendly manner.

When solving problems before the court, one party is happy and another party becomes unhappy. But both parties who are facing the problem are happy through the mediation system. In finding solutions to problems through such methods, the criminal problems in the society do not arise. In 1988, the conciliation board system was introduced to our country. From the day the mediation system was introduced, it has contributed greatly to solving the problems of this country.

At present, 70 percent of complaints referred to conciliation boards are resolved. After the war, the Land Conciliation Board system, which was introduced to the North and Eastern Provinces, was very successful. Efforts have been made to introduce that system throughout the island. The minister also stated that he would request maximum support to spread the system among the people by taking the facilities provided for the conciliation board activities.
Chairman of the Conciliation Commission, retired Supreme Court Judge Hector S. Yapa, Ambassador of the European Union for Sri Lanka and Maldives Carmen Moreno, Sri Lanka Director of the British Council, Orlando Edwards, Secretary of the Mediation Boards Commission Thilini Ratnasooriya expressed their views here.

Minister of State for Justice and Prison Affairs Attorney-at-Law Anuradha Jayaratne, Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Nihal Ranasinghe, SEDR Project Team Leader Jacques Carstens and other senior officials representing the Ministry of Justice, the Mediation Boards Commission, the European Union, the British Council and the Asia Foundation attended the event.