Can digitisation and AI clear SL’s 1.1 m case backlog?
In Sri Lanka, a simple land dispute may outlive the litigant. By the time the judgment is delivered, the litigant may already be gone. Can digitisation and artificial intelligence change this story and finally deliver justice faster?
Sri Lanka faces a staggering 1.1 million pending cases across various levels of the judiciary. The reasons being shortage of judges, archaic administrative processes and inefficient court proceedings.
Ordinary citizens do not have the means to keep funding lawyers to act on their behalf. Some give up midway due to financial constraints and some put their lives on hold waiting for a decision. Foreign investors who want to invest in the country may not, as they may fear that justice will be delayed.
Global lessons
Looking at our neighbouring country India, the implementation of the e-Courts project has digitised millions of case records and has reduced paper usage. Further, AI is being used for triage of cases and they are expanding to virtual hearings which makes justice accessible to everyone.
Sri Lanka can learn from this phased rollout and pilot digitised systems starting with the Colombo District Court and High Court, given that there are high volumes of cases. However, at the heart of digitisation is user experience. It’s not about scanning old files, rather it should be a system easy for lawyers and litigants to use.
Singapore on the other hand uses an integrated case management system that allows parties to file applications, court documents, view case updates and change a court date in minor criminal cases. They have also established an AI and innovation strategy for 2030.
Looking at the Singapore example, it is vital that technology and digitisation is implemented in everyday court practice and have a real impact on its users, rather than being a shiny new project.
Across Europe, similar lessons are being learned. The £1.3 billion HMCTS Reform Programme is one the largest digital transformations in Europe and has transformed the UK justice system. It introduced online civil money claims, e-filing, and expanded remote hearings during and after the pandemic. In 2025, the Ministry of Justice also launched an AI Action Plan for Justice, setting out how the UK courts would benefit from AI tools ensuring fairness and transparency.
Although Sri Lanka may not be able to match these budgets and the level of justice tech, Sri Lanka can still understand what’s possible and what could be achieved in the future. Sri Lanka must prioritise low cost, high impact initiatives such as e-filing, SMS updates and case summarisation AI that matter the most to lawyers and litigants.
These are examples of how tradition bound, complex legal systems can be transformed through digitisation and artificial intelligence ensuring fairness and faster access to justice.
Sri Lanka’s progress
Sri Lanka too has taken steps in the right direction and has launched a website to increase transparency and access operations of the Commercial High Court of Colombo. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the Computer Society of Sri Lanka have signed an MOU to collaborate on digital transformation and capacity building projects.
A more recent initiative, the e-Courts project is a digital system that connects all courts across the country providing access to information for judges, attorneys, court staff and the public. The main features include daily case lists and live status updates, judgements, issuance of certified copies, case management and an online payments system. Unless these reforms are regularly used, monitored and improved they risk becoming another project.
Further, many citizens and lawyers remain unaware of these initiatives and how they may be used. That is why awareness on such initiatives is just as important as the initiative itself. In the new era, AI remains a vital component that Sri Lanka needs to educate its citizens on the use of AI and technology, or it risks falling behind. Ultimately basic digitisation paired with AI could meaningfully reduce the backlog in a few years.
Next steps
The groundwork is being laid, but Sri Lanka has a long way to go to match countries like India, Singapore and the UK. Key reforms must include a universal e-filing system for all lawyers to upload documentation, a real-time case status tracker with updates via SMS, e-payments for court fees and fines, virtual hearings for minor matters, AI automated case triage system and AI legal chatbot in Sinhala, Tamil and English to explain court procedures. These initiatives will increase transparency and fairness in the justice system.
However, there are many challenges to overcome: strengthening cybersecurity and data protection, ensuring reliable internet access in rural areas, and providing digital training for court staff and lawyers alike.
Ethical safeguards
Guardrails must be built into policy and software systems from the outset, as it is the only way to guarantee transparency and fairness. AI should be able to assist but never decide as humans should be the decision-makers. AI systems that route or triage cases must log clear decision trails, and sensitive case information must not be used to train external AI models. To protect rights, citizens should be able to contest AI outputs, whether from incorrect routing and close checks must be maintained on bias, accuracy and security.
Sri Lanka cannot wait another decade for digitisation and technology implementation as citizens are losing confidence in the justice system. Justice delayed has meant justice denied, but in Sri Lanka, justice digitised with the combination of AI could finally mean justice delivered. By embracing technology, Sri Lanka can clear its backlog of cases, restore public trust and show the world that a small nation can make a mark in legal innovation. If implemented boldly, Sri Lanka can set a precedent for Global South countries on how access to justice could be re-imagined.
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