Justice Ministry moves to clear backlog as delays continue to affect court proceedings and bail applications
By The Pulseline News Desk
The Justice Ministry has set January 31, 2027, as the deadline to establish a system to issue Government Analyst reports within three months, in a move aimed at addressing delays in judicial proceedings and reducing the number of suspects held in remand custody.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara announced the measures following an inspection tour of the Government Analyst’s Department in Battaramulla recently, during which he examined the progress of efforts to expedite the issuance of pending reports.
The minister has stressed that issuing analyst reports within a stipulated timeframe was essential to speeding up court proceedings and minimising the number of inmates held in prisons.
Delays in obtaining forensic and scientific reports have been a persistent challenge in the administration of justice, particularly in cases involving narcotic substances, where such reports can be crucial to the progress of investigations and court proceedings.
The Ministry has acknowledged that staff vacancies and limitations in facilities at the Government Analyst’s Department had contributed to significant delays in issuing reports.
According to the minister, the outstanding issues have been identified and measures introduced to address them, including filling vacant positions, providing the necessary facilities and granting allowances to officers engaged in night shifts.
The measures are intended to create the conditions necessary for the department to accelerate its work and meet the proposed three-month reporting deadline.
Backlog of narcotics reports
During the inspection, Nanayakkara has also examined the procedures and progress involved in issuing analyst reports relating to narcotic substances.
The Justice Ministry has said the department had completed reports for narcotics samples weighing less than five grammes that had been received up to August 2026, under a special programme to clear the accumulated backlog.
Work on the remaining pending reports has also been accelerated, the ministry has said.
The completion of reports for samples received up to August represents progress in addressing the backlog in this category. However, the ministry’s announcement did not specify the total number of outstanding reports across all categories or how many cases remain affected by the delays.
Delays affecting bail and court proceedings
The failure to issue reports within a reasonable period has been identified as a major obstacle to clearing the backlog of court cases.
Suspects arrested in connection with various offences, including narcotics-related crimes, can remain in remand custody while investigators and courts await the necessary analyst reports.
Such delays can prolong judicial proceedings and complicate decisions on bail, placing additional pressure on an already burdened prison system.
The ministry’s initiative therefore seeks to address not only the department’s operational shortcomings but also the wider consequences of delayed forensic reporting for the administration of justice.
Nevertheless, establishing a three-month reporting timeframe will require sustained improvements in staffing, facilities and the management of incoming samples, alongside efforts to clear existing pending work.
The January 31 deadline is intended to provide a target for putting the necessary mechanisms in place. Whether the measures will consistently deliver reports within three months, while also preventing a new backlog from developing, will be a key test of the programme.
Acting Government Analyst Kamini Perera and other officials of the Government Analyst’s Department were present during the minister’s inspection.
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