Courts & procedure

අධිකරණ සහ නඩු ක්‍රියාපටිපාටිය · நீதிமன்றங்களும் நடைமுறையும்

Courts, cases, mediation, appeals

Situations

• Which court handles your problem? · ඔබේ ප්‍රශ්නය විසඳන්නේ කුමන අධිකරණයද? · உங்கள் பிரச்சினையை எந்த நீதிமன்றம் கையாளும்?
• You received a court summons · ඔබට අධිකරණ සිතාසියක් ලැබුණා · உங்களுக்கு நீதிமன்ற அழைப்பாணை கிடைத்தது
• Someone owes you money and won't pay · කෙනෙක් ඔබට මුදල් ණයයි, ගෙවන්නේ නැහැ · ஒருவர் உங்களுக்குப் பணம் தர வேண்டியுள்ளார், செலுத்தவில்லை
• A small dispute with a neighbour (Mediation Board) · අසල්වැසියෙකු සමඟ සුළු ආරවුලක් (සමථ මණ්ඩලය) · அயலவருடன் சிறு பிணக்கு (இணக்க சபை)
• A land dispute could turn violent · ඉඩම් ආරවුලක් ප්‍රචණ්ඩ විය හැකියි · காணிப் பிணக்கு வன்முறையாக மாறலாம்
• You were called as a witness · ඔබව සාක්ෂිකරුවෙකු ලෙස කැඳවා ඇත · நீங்கள் சாட்சியாக அழைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளீர்கள்
• You want to appeal a judgment · ඔබට තීන්දුවකට එරෙහිව අභියාචනා කිරීමට අවශ්‍යයි · தீர்ப்புக்கு எதிராக மேன்முறையீடு செய்ய விரும்புகிறீர்கள்
• How evidence works in court · අධිකරණයේ සාක්ෂි ක්‍රියා කරන ආකාරය · நீதிமன்றத்தில் சான்றுகள் எவ்வாறு செயல்படுகின்றன
• Complaining about your lawyer · ඔබේ නීතිඥවරයා ගැන පැමිණිලි කිරීම · உங்கள் சட்டத்தரணி பற்றி முறையிடுதல்
• Complaining about a notary · නොතාරිස්වරයෙකු ගැන පැමිණිලි කිරීම · நொத்தாரிசு பற்றி முறையிடுதல்

Acts, ordinances and regulations

• Judicature Act, No. 2 of 1978 — Sets up the courts of first instance and their powers: High Courts, District, Family, Small Claims, Magistrates' and Primary Courts.
• Judicature (Amendment) Act, No. 34 of 2022 — Created Small Claims Courts for money and movable-property claims up to Rs. 1.5 million.
• Small Claims Courts' Procedure Act, No. 33 of 2022 — Simple, faster procedure for small money claims, with a target of 18 months per case.
• Civil Procedure Code (Ordinance No. 2 of 1889), as amended up to Act No. 43 of 2024 — Rules for civil cases: plaints, summons, answers, trials, judgments, enforcement and appeals.
• Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979 — Rules for criminal cases: complaints, summons, warrants, trials and appeals.
• Mediation Boards Act, No. 72 of 1988 — Many small disputes and minor offences must go to a Mediation Board before a court will hear them.
• Mediation Board (Amendment) Act, No. 2 of 2024 — Raised the Mediation Board value limit from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 1,000,000 and changed how applications are received.
• Mediation (Special Categories of Disputes) Act, No. 21 of 2003 — Special mediation boards for set categories of disputes in declared areas.
• Primary Courts' Procedure Act — Lets the Primary Court quickly decide possession when a land dispute threatens the peace.
• Prescription Ordinance (1871) — Time limits for filing civil cases: from 1 year (shop debts, wages) to 10 years (mortgage bonds).
• Constitution, Articles 126-128 (Supreme Court) — The Supreme Court hears fundamental rights cases and final appeals with leave.
• Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, No. 13 of 1951 — Quazi courts hear Muslim divorce and related matters; appeals go to the Board of Quazis.
• Industrial Disputes Act — Labour Tribunals hear workers' complaints about termination; apply within six months.
• Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act, No. 10 of 2023 — Rights and protection for witnesses; crimes of threatening or harming witnesses.
• Legal Aid Law, No. 27 of 1978 — Free legal advice and court representation for people with low income, through 77 legal aid centres.
• Evidence Ordinance, No. 14 of 1895 — Sets the rules on what evidence courts may accept, who must prove what, confessions, documents and witnesses.
• Supreme Court (Conduct of and Etiquette for Attorneys-at-Law) Rules, 1988 — Rules of professional conduct for lawyers, made under Article 136 of the Constitution.
• Supreme Court Rules, 1978 (Part VII) — Procedure for Rule inquiries into misconduct by attorneys-at-law.
• Notaries Ordinance, No. 1 of 1907 (amended up to Act No. 6 of 2024) — Licensing, duties, fees, inquiries and offences for notaries public.