11 key updates from President AKD’s Justice Ministry budget discussions

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake chaired a pre-Budget discussion on the Ministry of Justice and National Integration on Tuesday, reviewing the progress of projects funded under the 2026 Budget and setting priorities for the 2027 Budget. The meeting focused on improving the justice sector through infrastructure development, institutional reforms, prison modernisation and enhanced forensic capabilities. Here are 11 key takeaways:

1. The President said the government’s objective is to establish a judicial system capable of delivering timely justice to the public through accelerated development of court infrastructure.

2. Progress on major court infrastructure projects was reviewed, including the Colombo High Court Complex, Aluthkade Court Complex, and new court complexes in Galle, Matale and Kantale.

3. Discussions were held on resuming the construction of official residences for judges, a project suspended following the 2022 economic crisis.

4. The Legal Draftsman’s Department is to be strengthened with additional staff and improved technological capabilities to meet its expanding responsibilities.

5. The Government Analyst’s Department is expected to receive new laboratory equipment during August, with plans to increase its monthly analytical reporting capacity to 9,000 reports.

6. The President instructed officials to relocate the Government Analyst’s Department to more suitable premises equipped with the facilities required for its operations.

7. Progress of the Department of Prisons’ Rs. 5.627 billion capital programme was reviewed, covering prison renovations, modern technology, vehicles and software systems.

8. The meeting also focused on improving facilities and welfare for prison officers, while addressing engineering sector vacancies through contract-based recruitment.

9. The government discussed bringing rehabilitation programmes currently run by multiple institutions under a single coordinating authority to improve coordination.

10. Progress of projects implemented by the Attorney General’s Department, the Department of Community-Based Corrections and several other institutions under the ministry was reviewed as part of preparations for the 2027 Budget.

11. President Dissanayake said instructions had already been issued to develop separate government procurement frameworks for specialised sectors such as digital services, healthcare and defence, acknowledging the limitations of the current procurement system.