The Centre was commissioned by the Sri Lanka Law Commission to research two neglected areas in the Justice System in Sri Lanka, namely the protection of witnesses and the rights of victims of crime.
Fair trial is often impeded by the coercion of witnesses and by interference with them in various ways. There is consequently reluctance on the part of members of the public to give evidence. Likewise court proceedings tend to concentrate on fair trial and the rights of the accused but the damage done to the victim and his or her family is often totally neglected by the legal system. No system concerned with human rights and fair trial can afford to neglect these areas.
The Centre set up a research team to research these two areas and submitted its report to the Law Reform Commission. It also conducted a public seminar on the topic. The recommendations of the Centre have been taken into account by the Law Reform Commission in making its recommendations to Parliament for legislation.
