The Sri Lanka Law College successfully launched its new website https://www.sllc.ac.lk/home developed with the support of the European Union-funded ‘Support to Justice Reform (JURE)’ project. This project is jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF in Sri Lanka and facilitated by the Ministry of Justice. The website was launched yesterday at the Law College Auditorium, with the participation of Hon. Chief Justice, Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC; Secretary, Ministry of Justice Mr. Nihal Ranasinghe, Principal of Sri Lanka Law College, Dr Athula Pathinayake; Deputy Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka, Mr. Edoardo Spacca; and Officer-In-Charge, UNDP in Sri Lanka, Ms. Malin Herwig.
The newly launched website marks the beginning of many user-friendly digital learning tools to be introduced for students, faculty, and legal professionals. The website provides access to academic resources, up-to-date administrative matters, and engages students in interactive learning with the objective to enhance the efficiency and accessibility to legal education. The future phases of the website under the JURE project will include the integration of a Student Management System as well as a Learning Management System (LMS).
The Sri Lanka Law College operates under the Incorporated Council of Legal Education constituted under the Incorporated Council of Legal Education Ordinance No.2 of 1900 to administer legal education to individuals aspiring to join the Bar of Sri Lanka. It is the only institution offering a complete course of study leading to examinations for those seeking admission to the legal profession. While academic institutions offer law courses, eligibility to practice law in Sri Lanka is granted only after admission to the profession as outlined by the Incorporated Council of Legal Education. Therefore, the Law College serves as the exclusive gateway to the legal profession in Sri Lanka, with graduates becoming Attorneys-at-Law.
Highlighting the importance of this enhancement, the Chief Justice, His Lordship Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, stated, "This website will enable Sri Lanka Law College to reach out to the world, and in turn, allow the world to connect with the law college. No matter where we are, access to the Law College will always be at our fingertips. Beyond education, this platform will support a wide range of activities integral to the Law College's mission. I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to all those who have collaborated to bring the Law College into the global digital landscape. The partner agencies have come together as a united team, not only to support the Law College but also to strengthen key areas of Sri Lanka's justice sector. Thank you for recognizing Sri Lanka Law College as an institution worthy of facilitation and support, ensuring that our services reach a broader audience and contribute to a more efficient justice mechanism in Sri Lanka."
Noting the support of this EU-funded initiative, the Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka, Mr. Edoardo Spacca commented that “Effective and quality legal education requires effective tools. Today, with support from the EU-funded JURE project, the Sri Lankan Law College has been provided with one of those tools, a new online platform that I believe will sustain the efforts of its students to become the legal professionals that Sri Lanka needs to face the challenges lying ahead on the path to development and prosperity”.
Emphasizing the role of UNDP, Ms. Malin Herwig, Officer in Charge, UNDP in Sri Lanka, noted, "UNDP is proud to support digitization efforts in the justice sector, marking a major milestone in improving the efficiency and accessibility of legal education in Sri Lanka. By digitizing such services, it will not only enhance transparency but also improve efficiency, strengthening legal professionals in the country embracing digital solutions to support the rule of law.”
The Principal of Sri Lanka Law College, Dr Athula Pathinayake noted, "For many years, we operated with limited resources, managing with a simple webpage. However, recognizing the need for a more robust platform, we initiated discussions with UNDP in 2023, which ultimately led to this project. Today, we express our profound gratitude to the JURE project, funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by UNDP and UNICEF, facilitated by the Ministry of Justice, for playing a pivotal role in developing this website. This is not just a webpage; it's a hub for many services and will serve as the foundation for our student management system, learning management system, library, digital library, research hub, HR system, and more. While these areas are still under development, I am confident that, once completed, this website will function as a one-stop shop for our users."
This initiative is part of the broader digitalization action plan led by the Ministry of Justice within its reform mechanisms. In addition to supporting the website, the EU-funded JURE project will continue to support Law College in realising catalytical reforms in the justice education sector in Sri Lanka.