Justice officials inspect destroyed Jaffna courthouses

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 September 2002, 16:34 GMT]
Officials from Sri Lanka's Judicial Service Commission (JSC) headed by its secretary paid a two day visit to Jaffna peninsula inspecting court houses destroyed in the heavy fighting which raged in the northern peninsula in the past. JSC Secretary Mr. S. W. Jayatilake Monday inspected the Point Pedro magistrate court building, which is presently occupied by the Sri Lanka Army.

The SLA has said the entire Point Pedro area encompassing courthouse, rest house, harbour, co-operative building and two leading schools still remains a high security zone.

Ministry officials later visited the temporary Point Pedro courthouse, located in a private building at Vathiri in the Vadamarachchi. Point Pedro Magistrate Mr.A.Premshankar accompanied ministry officials.

JSC officials Sunday visited Mallakam where the permanent court building had been destroyed in the military operations launched by the SLA in 1995. They also inspected the Jaffna court complex destroyed during heavy fighting in 1990.

JSC officials held a meeting with the Jaffna magistrate regarding the construction of a new court complex for Jaffna with the World Bank assistance, sources said.