President reviews Justice Ministry projects and 2027 Budget proposals

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reviewed the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget allocations for the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, along with proposals for the 2027 Budget.

The pre-Budget discussion was held today (4) at the Presidential Secretariat, focusing on the physical and financial progress of projects carried out by the Ministry’s departments, statutory institutions and affiliated bodies, the President’s Media Division said.

During the meeting, special attention was given to improving judicial infrastructure, with President Dissanayake emphasising the need to establish a justice system capable of delivering timely justice to the general public.

The President said the development of court infrastructure across the country should be expedited to achieve this goal.

Officials presented updates on several major construction projects, including the Colombo High Court Complex, Ministry of Justice building, Hulftsdorp Court Complex, and new court complexes in Galle, Matale and Kantale.

Progress of the proposed construction of official residences for judges, which was suspended following the 2022 economic crisis, was also reviewed, the PMD stated.

The meeting also examined projects implemented by the Attorney General’s Department under a capital allocation of Rs. 79 million and the Legal Draftsman’s Department under an allocation of Rs. 38 million.

Attention was drawn to strengthening the capacity of the Legal Draftsman’s Department by improving its human resources and technological capabilities.

Meanwhile, progress of projects at the Government Analyst’s Department was reviewed, with officials noting that current projects are being implemented under a capital allocation of Rs. 635 million, which may be increased to Rs. 701 million.

Plans to raise the department’s monthly analytical reporting capacity to 9,000 reports were also discussed. The President instructed officials to take steps to relocate the department to suitable premises with improved facilities, the PMD noted.

The Department of Prisons was also a key focus of the discussion, as it received the largest capital allocation under the Ministry, amounting to Rs. 5.627 billion.

The allocation is being utilised for prison renovations, procurement of modern equipment and vehicles, development of software systems, and improving welfare facilities for prison officers.

The meeting also reviewed projects under the Department of Community-Based Corrections and discussed the possibility of bringing rehabilitation programmes conducted by multiple institutions under a single coordinating mechanism.

The activities of several institutions under the Ministry, including the Mediation Boards Commission, Judicial Service Commission Secretariat, Office on Missing Persons, Office for Reparations and Official Languages Commission, were also reviewed.

President Dissanayake also highlighted the need to streamline government procurement procedures, stating that separate procurement frameworks are being prepared for specialised sectors such as digital services, healthcare and defence, the PMD added.

Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and senior government officials attended the discussion.