By Lalith Chaminda –
A total of 1,134,474 court cases remain unresolved across 293 courts in Sri Lanka, according to a recent report released by the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.
The report reveals that as of June 30, 2025, the highest number of pending cases is recorded in the Magistrate’s Courts, standing at 818,869.
The breakdown of pending cases across various court levels is as follows:
- Magistrate’s Courts: 818,869
- District Courts (across 67 courts): 260,007
- High Courts (Criminal): 27,376
- Civil Appellate High Courts: 6,591
- Commercial High Courts: 6,330
- Supreme Court: 5,396
- Court of Appeal: 5,216
- Labour Tribunals: 3,131
- Children’s Magistrate’s Courts: 1,556
- Contempt of Court Cases: 65
The report further emphasizes the need for strategic measures to accelerate the resolution of this heavy backlog within the judicial system.
