Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a post-conflict country which has faced ethnic and religious tensions throughout its history. The recent economic crisis has exacerbated existing inequalities in all aspects of life including rule of law, gender justice and civic space.

History and overview

The context in the country

Sri Lanka is struggling to achieve accountability and reconciliation in the aftermath of a protracted ethnic war which saw many atrocities committed by various actors. The recent economic crisis has deteriorated the standard of life and affected civic space. The Sri Lankan justice system is onset with various challenges such as chronic delays which makes justice elusive, especially to the poor and marginalized.

Legal context and legal needs

The Sri Lankan Justice system, which retains some of its colonial heritage, is challenged by a large backlog of cases, procedural delays and specific regressive laws. In this context, dealing with sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and child abuse -which is wide-spread due to socio-economic factors and patriarchal attitudes- has become a monumental task.

LAW rationale for intervention

While a legal framework for the prevention of and redress for SGBV and child abuse is existing, justice for victims is limited due to a combination of factors. Many victims of SGBV and child abuse find it challenging to access and avail themselves of legal services due to lack of means and awareness. LAW in Sri Lanka seeks to address this issue through interventions in the form of legal aid and empowerment, technical assistance and strategic litigation.

LAW started its work in Sri Lanka in 2017. LAW provides legal representation and essential services to victims of SGBV and child abuse through its ‘Gender Justice Legal Network’ a dedicated network of lawyers. In addition, it explores avenues of strategic litigation and provides technical assistance to stakeholders.

Ongoing projects

The Gender Justice Legal Network, supported by LAW, is providing legal and other essential services to victims of SGBV and child abuse. 

Closed projects

Technology for Gender Justice Project (2020-2022): implementing a multi-pronged technology strategy to counter and protect against gendered harm in Sri Lanka, including a study to understand how technology-related gender-based violence manifests on social media platforms in Sri Lanka.

  • information sessions on gendered hate speech to at least 120 youth
  • a study on gendered online hate speech

Technical Assistance to Justice Institutions Project (2017-2022): contributing to laying the foundations for an effective transitional justice process in Sri Lanka by building the capacity of key institutions and actors that are involved in that process.

  • A series of trainings of Attorney General Department (AGD) prosecutors that led to a AGD policy shift to allow victim impact statements during sentencing hearings
  • Engagement of more than 2000 people in various trainings and discussions on transitional justice, gender justice, and anti-hate speech
  • A comprehensive gender justice social media campaign that reached tens of thousands
  • The establishment and support to the Gender Justice Legal Network (GJLN) which is tackling actual cases while also developing lawyers’ litigating skills

Research projects

LAW as a legal organisation believes that evidence-based advocacy should be the basis for policy influencing and advocacy. 

  • LAW, “They tried to kill my family”, Research Project, Estonia, 2023. 
  • LAW, “They tried to destroy my village”, Policy Brief, Latvia, 1999. 

Statistics

Since the beginning of the project LAW supported 145 victims before various courts and provided legal aid to 268 victims. 

LAW GJLN is providing legal representation and assistance in 163 SGBV, domestic violence or child abuse cases which involve one or more victims. Since its establishment in October 2020, the Network managed to provide assistance in 333 cases.

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