The Law & Society Trust, Sri Lanka is pleased to publish “A Snapshot of the Criminal Justice System: Building a Picture Through Sexual Violence Cases in the Court of Appeal” by Shenali De Silva.

In the current environment of transitional justice in Sri Lanka, there is an inevitable focus on considering the criminal justice system from the perspective of the most ‘egregious’ crimes. For this reason, it is imperative to ensure the ‘everyday’ workings of the criminal justice system do not get overlooked. This study compiled a set of Court of Appeal judgments on sexual violence (rape and grave sexual abuse) and asked the question: What do Court of Appeal judgments on sexual violence reveal about the workings of the criminal justice system? The analyses of the dataset revealed a number of key findings. In addition, the analyses of the dataset also revealed a number of issues and concerns that warrant further inquiry. These findings and the questions raised are critical to inform and shape discussions on criminal justice reform.

To download the report , click here.