US pledges assistance to enhance effectiveness of Lanka’s judicial processes

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to aiding Sri Lanka’s efforts in reducing prison overcrowding, streamline court automation, and enhance the overall effectiveness of judicial processes.

She stated this following the donation of 35 video conferencing units and the opening of new facilities in Agunakolapalessa and Galle prisons, which she says will help ensure virtual proceedings improve prisoners’ access to legal services, speed up trials, and reduce the judicial backlog.

Taking to ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), Ambassador Chung said she joined United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on Thursday in a significant step forward for the Ministry of Justice’s virtual courts in Sri Lanka.

“The United States State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s initiatives that aim to reduce prison overcrowding, streamline court automation, and enhance the overall effectiveness of judicial processes”, she tweeted.