(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms, Thalatha Athukorala, says the second three-member special High Court to hear large scale financial frauds and corruption cases will be set up within the next two weeks.
Athukorala further stated that the court is being established under the powers vested in her as the Minister of Justice under the Judicial Service Ordinance No 2 of 1978
Minister Athukorala said she had not yet arrived at a final decision regarding the location of the Special High Court, but it will be located within the Colombo court complex.
Mrs. Thalatha Athukorala stated that the Justice Ministry officially will hand it over to the Judicial Service Commission and thereafter the Chief Justice will be the custodian of the court.
The first permanent Special High Court for trials of bribery and corruption and highly complex financial crimes was formally established on 21st August at the Hulftsdorf Court Complex in Colombo 12. The establishment of the second Special High Court was gazetted in September 2018.
The Special High Courts are empowered to the offenses under penal code. Accordingly, offenses including bribery, breach of confidence, financial misappropriation, financial misuse, money laundering for terrorism, organized crime, and misuse of public property, will be prosecuted.
