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Sri Lanka CJ on Indian Supreme Court bench during special sitting
A 10-member delegation from Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, undertook an official visit to India this week.
The group was accorded a ceremonial welcome in the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi main hall, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.The focal point of the programme was a special sitting of the Supreme Court. SL Chief Justice Surasena joined CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on the bench, presiding over the Court as a guest justice. He was accompanied by 9 other Supreme Court justices from Sri Lanka, who took seats in the well of CJI Kant’s courtroom to observe the day’s proceedings.
Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh formally greeted the delegation and praised Justice Surasena’s reformist efforts. Singh recalled the Sri Lankan Chief Justice’s own maxim, “If you want something you have never had, then you have got to do something you have never done”, highlighting the bold changes Surasena had introduced to modernise Sri Lanka’s court system. Singh noted that these initiatives, particularly court digitisation, were aimed at eradicating “the persisting problems of law delays” and streamlining case backlogs.
The Lankan judges spent the morning observing Supreme Court proceedings in CJI Kant’s courtroom.
The official programme then shifted to capacity-building and information exchange. In the early afternoon, Indian Supreme Court officials gave the Lankan delegation detailed briefings on India’s technological initiatives. Court registrars demonstrated the e-filing system and other e-initiatives implemented by the Supreme Court of India. Additional presentations outlined the court’s new case management systems and administrative reforms. The Lankan judges asked questions about India’s experience with electronic court records and the integration of technology in daily judicial work.
Throughout the proceedings, both sides emphasised their shared legal traditions and mutual respect. As Chief Justice Surasena noted during the sitting, India is Sri Lanka’s “closest neighbour,” and historic links, even dating back to ancient epics, form the backdrop for today’s judicial dialogue. CJI Kant remarked that having the chief justices of two vibrant democracies together on the bench was a “significant moment” for the rule of law.
The Lankan delegation continued its programme in Delhi on December 12 with a visit to the Delhi High Court and its International Arbitration and Mediation Centres.
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