Sri Lanka Law College Launches New Website To Enhance Legal Education Access
Shakila Ifham
August 27, 2024
The Sri Lanka Law College unveiled its newly developed website, https://www.sllc.ac.lk/home, at a formal ceremony held at the Law College Auditorium. The website, created with the support of the European Union-funded ‘Support to Justice Reform (JURE)’ project, represents a significant milestone in the digitalization of legal education in Sri Lanka. This project is a collaborative effort between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF in Sri Lanka, facilitated by the Ministry of Justice.
The launch event was graced by the Hon. Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, along with several distinguished guests, including the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Nihal Ranasinghe, the Principal of Sri Lanka Law College, Dr. Athula Pathinayake, the Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka, Mr. Edoardo Spacca, and the Officer-In-Charge of UNDP in Sri Lanka, Ms. Malin Herwig.
The Chief Justice, His Lordship Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, highlighted the significance of this digital transformation, stating, “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.”
The new website marks the first step in introducing user-friendly digital learning tools designed for students, faculty, and legal professionals. It offers access to a wealth of academic resources, up-to-date administrative information, and interactive learning opportunities, all aimed at improving the efficiency and accessibility of legal education. Future phases of the website, under the JURE project, will see the integration of a Student Management System and a Learning Management System (LMS).
Mr. Edoardo Spacca, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka, also emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting 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.”
Ms. Malin Herwig, Officer in Charge of UNDP in Sri Lanka, expressed her satisfaction with the progress, stating, “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.”
Dr. Athula Pathinayake, Principal of Sri Lanka Law College, reflected on the journey leading to this achievement, “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 initiative is part of the broader digitalization action plan led by the Ministry of Justice as part of its reform mechanisms. The EU-funded JURE project will continue to support Sri Lanka Law College in realizing essential reforms in the justice education sector in Sri Lanka.
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