Abstract:
The first chapter of this dissertation titled “A sociological analysis on the delay of cases in Sri Lankan courts (with special reference to the District and Magistrate Courts of Puttalam district” introduces the topic and its relevance. Law is defined and the link between society and courts is discussed. The significance of the dissertation, how it differs from other studies, the aim of the dissertation as to why the court cases are delayed and other objectives were analyzed. In addition, the reason for selecting the Puttalam District Court and the Magistrate Court, as well as the sampling were described. The quantitative, comparative, historical methods were used. Observations and unstructured questionnaire were used. The first chapter gives an introduction to the study and the second describes the history of Sri Lankan judiciary. The third chapter describes the structure of courts, power and the fourth; how the cases are being delayed in District Court and Magistrate Court in Puttalam. The fifth includes the conclusion. By analyzing the Sri Lankan courts, the study analyzes the entire history. Thereby, Raadvan Yusththi, Lan Raad, Civil Raad courts and the structure of the present courts are also discussed. In the third chapter the Magistrate Courts, the Appeals Court, the High Courts, the District Courts were described. Apart from that, the language of courts, courts in other countries, American courts, Powers of Magistrate court are analyzed. An account of the courts in Australia, Canada, Japan and Switzerland are also given. The study focuses on the delay in the District Court and the Magistrates Court in the Puttalam district The analysis reveals the function of the District Court and Magistrate Court, and how many civil and criminal cases are delayed. The opinions of the public, staff, lawyers, and other officers related to courts are analyzed. Thereby, the questions such as; are the cases being delayed and how it affects society, are answered The fifth chapter reveals that the delay of the police, the prison and the courts are the reasons for the cases to be delayed and the solutions are given to eliminate such drawbacks. The delay directly affects the social structure as the law is the prime factor in the society.
