BASL requests for courts to function as essential service

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has requested for the courts, including the Court of Appeal to continue to function as an essential service.

Directing a letter to the Chief Justice, the President of the Courts of Appeal and the Judicial Service Commission, the BASL states that it is of the view that the administration of justice is an essential service and has always been considered to be so.

The Ministry of Public Administration recently took steps to declare a three-day work week in view of the current fuel crisis and to encourage public servants to grow at home.

BASL states that halting work on Fridays will cause an immense disruption to the functioning of courts and will cause great inconvenience to the public as well as to the members of the legal profession, and mentions that a three-day holiday every week will not lead to desirable outcomes for litigants and to the administration of justice.