36th National Mediation Day celebration tomorrow

The 36th National Mediation Day will be commemorated tomorrow (14) at 10.30 a.m. at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, under the patronage of the Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara.

The event is organised by the Mediation Boards Commission of Sri Lanka.

With the aim of easing the judicial process as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, mediation boards were established on July 18, 1990 by the Mediation Boards Act No. 72 of 1988 to resolve minor disputes referred to courts.

According to the 2026 budget allocations, a sum of 800 million rupees was provided by the government for the Mediation Boards Commission, and land dispute mediation boards are currently established covering all 25 districts.

Presently, 332 community mediation boards are set up across the island, and over 9,000 mediators serve voluntarily on the mediation boards.

It is reported that more than 200,000 disputes are referred to mediation boards annually.

Steps were taken to set up special mediation boards on financial disputes with the aim of reducing the volume of financial disputes referred to court, and special mediation boards on financial disputes are currently established in the six districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, and Monaragala.