District, Magistrate’s and Appellate Courts opened in North

District and Magistrate’s Courts in Kilinochchi and a new Civil Appellate High Court in Vavuniya were officially opened last week under the patronage of Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake and Minister of Justice and SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem.

The Kilinochchi District and the Magistrate’s Courts were constructed at a cost of Rs. 15 million and the Vavuniya new Civil Appellate High Court was constructed at a cost of Rs. 26 million. The functions of the Kilinochchi Courts were commenced following the defeat of the LTTE and the Courts have been functioning in temporary buildings.

With the opening of the Vavuniya Civil Appellate High Court, the people living in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya Districts will immensely benefited.

The people in these districts were confronted with many difficulties as there was no Civil Appellate High Court in the area. The Ministry of Justice states, that these Courts are being established to strengthen the judicial system in the North as in the South after normalcy returned to the country.

Meanwhile reconstruction works on many Court buildings including Point Pedro, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Velanei and Mankulam have been commenced at a cost of Rs. 890 million.

Minister of Justice Rauff Hakeem, Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and Suhada Gamlath, Secretary, Dulan Hettiarchchi consultant to the Ministry, senior officials, judges and Attorneys-at-law are expected to participate in these opening ceremonies at Kilinochchi and Vavuniya.