COHERENT, OPEN, RESPONSIVE, AND EFFECTIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM (CORE JUSTICE)

Annual Summary Progress Report October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020

Submission Date: October 30, 2020

Contract Number: AID-383-TO-17-00004 Contract Period: August 10, 2017 to February 7, 2021

Submitted by: Chemonics International Inc. 61 2/1, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mw. 03, Tel: +94 (0) 779 566 080

This document was produced for review and approval by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

ACRONYMS

ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution AGD Attorney General’s Department BASL of Sri Lanka CCC Ceylon Chamber of Commerce CHC Commercial High Court CLE Continuing CLS Colombo Law Society CORE Coherent, Open, Responsive and Effective CSO Civil Society Organization DAR Digital Audio Recording GESI Gender Equality and Social Inclusion GOSL Government of Sri Lanka HR Human Resources ICLP Institute for the Development of Commercial Law and Practice ICT Information and Communication Technology ICTA Information and Communication Technology Agency JSC Judicial Service Commission KRA Key Result Area LAC Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka MEL Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation MOH Ministry of Health MOJ Ministry of Justice MOU Memorandum of Understanding ODR Online Dispute Resolution PC President’s Counsel PLC Provincial Law Conference SLLCC Sri Lanka Lawyer’s Cricket Club SLJI Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute TDC Training and Development Centre TOT Training-of-Trainers VCS Video Conferencing System

1 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV 1. ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Activity Name: Sri Lanka Coherent, Open, Responsive, and Effective Justice Program (CORE Justice) Activity Start Date and August 10, 2017- February 7, 2021 End Date: Name of Prime Chemonics International Inc. Implementing Partner: Contract Number: AID-383-TO-17-00004 Name of Contractors/ . MSN Architects Sub-awardees: . Leema Creations (Pvt) Ltd . Affno Asia Pacific Ltd • Swedish Trading Audio Visual (Pvt) Ltd Government . Ministry of Justice Counterpart(s): . Attorney General’s Department . Judicial Service Commission . Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka . Legal Draftsman’s Department • Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute Non-Government . Bar Association of Sri Lanka Counterpart(s) . Ceylon Chamber of Commerce - Institute for the Development of Commercial Law and Practice Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (CCC-ICLP ADR Centre) • Colombo Law Society Geographic Coverage: Sri Lanka Reporting Period: October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020

The USAID Coherent, Open, Responsive, and Effective Justice program (CORE Justice) seeks to improve the performance of core justice sector institutions and actors to support the modernization of Sri Lanka’s justice sector. Working closely with key stakeholders in the judiciary, government, legal profession, and civil society, the program aims to help Sri Lankans regain confidence and trust in the justice system’s ability to resolve disputes and remedy rights violations.

The CORE Justice program comprises three objectives: 1. Strengthen the effectiveness of core justice institutions, processes, and actors so they can effectively exercise their powers and fulfill their respective competencies; 2. Improve the justice system’s transparency and citizen engagement by increasing public awareness of its work, enhancing trust in processes and decisions, and garnering public support for institutional needs; 3. Enhance the governance, qualifications, and diversity of the Sri Lankan legal profession.

The following developments in the global and local contexts influenced CORE Justice’s operating environment and activities during Year 3.

2 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 OPERATING CONTEXT. The global spread of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in mid-March 2020, continues to have an unprecedented impact on global and local public health, political, and economic arenas. Local efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 dominated the project’s operating environment for most of Year 3. Following nearly three months of police- and military-enforced curfews, the country partially reopened late in the third quarter. In spite of the government’s efforts, , by the close of Year 3 cases were again on the rise in Sri Lanka. CORE Justice expects the pandemic to continue to impede program activities and implementation as the project heads into Year 4.

The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) reported the first local COVID-19 case on March 11, nearly at the end of Quarter 2. Sri Lanka took swift action to try to mitigate against a large-scale community spread by declaring an island-wide curfew on March 20. The curfew continued – for varying durations of time and with more stringent measures for high-risk areas including Colombo – until June 28. Quarter 3 was marked by strict controls on movement and public activities. Police and military were present on the streets and actively enforced the curfew regulations. By early June, more than 60,000 people had been arrested for violating health and curfew rules. The GOSL’s curfew and work-from- home directives led some of CORE Justice counterparts to close their offices including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the Legal Aid Commission (LAC) due to a lack of infrastructure necessary for staff teams to work from home.

On May 27, the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a set of comprehensive guidelines to help public and private sector offices return to work safely. This followed the gradual resumption of more normal activities throughout the country. By the end of June, all of CORE Justice’s counterparts had resumed work and all courts were mostly functional. By mid-June restrictions on some public activities were further relaxed and schools and universities reopened.

During May and June new cases were generally limited to members of the military, people in government-run quarantine centers, and Sri Lankans repatriating to the country. A sharp spike linked to 330 confirmed cases at the Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre in Polonnaruwa was reported in mid-July. The government again closed all schools. As this cluster recovered and the spread was contained, Sri Lanka continued relaxing restrictions again and allowed some public gatherings toward the end of Year 3.

Some of the actions taken by the Government to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 continue to impact the implementation of CORE Justice’s activities despite the general easing of restrictions across the country. The challenges are a mix of logistical and health concerns held by individuals including counterparts and beneficiaries. Since March 22, the Bandaranaike International Airport and other international airports have been closed except for limited outbound international flights and repatriation flights available only for Sri Lankans and listed categories of returnees including diplomats, employees of international organizations, and the Board of Investment involved in local projects, sea marshals, and military personnel.

The government continues to prioritize the repatriation process over a general reopening of the country. Since May, repatriation flights have regularly been returning Sri Lankans to the country with occasional delays tied to spikes in local cases and the general elections held in early August. While the government originally scheduled the airport reopening for August 1, 2020, this date has been postponed indefinitely.

3 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV PROJECT IMPACT. Just after the first local COVID-19 case was announced, counterparts cancelled most in-person activities. CORE Justice closed its project office on March 16. Project leadership established work-from-home protocols to address compliance with government restrictions and to protect employees’ health. Project staff worked remotely throughout Quarter 3 and into Quarter 4 with regular check-ins with supervisors and the project team. The project launched a significant online continuing legal education (CLE) initiative in Quarter 3, facilitating a total of 28 webinars reaching more than 1,500 beneficiaries in collaboration with counterparts. While counterpart offices were closed, the project also made headway in laying groundwork for key technical activities including the model courts initiative, curriculum development for the Sri Lanka Judge’s Institute (SLJI) and Attorney General’s Department (AGD), relationship building and continuing legal education programming with the Colombo Law Society (CLS), and course development for the AGD.

In late May, as restrictions eased, CORE Justice team members resumed limited in-person meetings with counterparts. Activities involving external contractors, such as the rehabilitation of the AGD’s Training and Development Centre (TDC), also picked up speed with workplans revised to accommodate delays caused by the prolonged curfew. The groundwork laid during the curfew yielded considerable results in Quarter 4 in the areas of model courts, the development of the AGD’s e-diary software system with CORE Justice’s subcontractor Affno Asia Pacific Ltd (Affno), and the rehabilitation of the AGD’s TDC.

In late July, CORE Justice finalized its reopening plan in line with the GOSL guidelines and Chemonics corporate standards. Under the plan, the CORE Justice project office partially reopened on July 27. With social distancing measures in mind, employees were split into two teams to report to work on an every-other-week basis. In accordance with GOSL regulations, staff members were spaced out throughout the office, hand sanitizer dispensers installed, temperature-taking protocol established, and mask requirements were put into effect. Those not working from the project office worked from home and reported regularly to supervisors.

With a reopening protocol established, CORE Justice and counterparts worked to resume in-person events and trainings. In July, the project organized its first large-scale in-person event, a civil trial advocacy skills training in collaboration with the AGD. It was a high-profile event with the participation of sitting judges of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, retired and sitting judges of the Court of Appeal and other senior officials from the AGD. CORE Justice worked with the host hotel and the AGD to ensure that all relevant health guidelines were followed as required for a training of this nature.

With local airports closed to general travel, CORE Justice remains unable to field international consultants to support program activities. In addition, some potential consultants have expressed a hesitation to travel even if the airport reopens.. The project is continuing to develop mechanisms for delivering planned technical activities remotely until travel becomes possible. Further, the project’s deputy chief of party (operations and programs) who evacuated in March, is unable to return and is working remotely from the United States.

In addition to the travel ban, the GOSL’s import ban has hampered project procurements – both for day-to-day office operations and for more complex procurement-related interventions.

At the end of Year 3, CORE Justice had again adapted its workplan to the changing context, moving forward from remote-based to in-person activities as Sri Lanka settled into its ‘new normal’.

Note. Though not in the year under review, at the time of writing, Sri Lanka has experienced a significant increase in the number of positive cases detected starting from October 4. Strict curfews are again in place in

4 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV multiple locations throughout the country – though not in the where the CORE Justice office is located.

CHANGES IN THE POLITICAL CONTEXT. Early in the start of Year 3, the GOSL underwent significant political changes that spanned the course of 2020. In November 2019, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sworn in as the . Mr. Rajapaksa was formerly the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defense under former President . Soon after Mr. Rajapaksa’s election as President, he named Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister, following the resignation of the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe. A new cabinet was subsequently constituted. The new administration renamed CORE Justice’s line ministry, the “Ministry of Justice and Prison Reforms” as the “Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms” (MOJ), and made several changes to other ministries to realign state institutions according to the new administration’s vision. These changes had ripple effects as leadership turned over throughout the new ministry’s hierarchy, and some activities including any engagement with the Task Force on Enforcing Contracts (set up under the now non- existent Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade) were set aside.

On March 2, 2020, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dissolved parliament in line with constitutional provisions. With the dissolution of parliament, a caretaker government came into force consisting of only the Cabinet of Ministers, the Prime Minister, and the President. This caretaker government was only intended to govern for a few short weeks, with general elections initially scheduled for April 25, but the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in early March led the Government to postpone the elections until August 2020.

Meanwhile state expenses, including the continuation of government services, were met using funds from Sri Lanka’s Consolidated Fund 1 , approved for public spending by President Rajapaksa. In anticipation of forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in November and April respectively, Parliament passed an interim budget for the first four months of 2020 in October 2019. However, as elections continued to be pushed to later in the year, funds were limited which limited the ability of select government institutions to perform their functions.One CORE Justice counterpart, the Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka (LAC), had limited funds and scaled down operations. LAC did not have funds to cover staff working additional hours which prevented participation by legal staff in CORE Justice trainings. The fiscal problems also delayed recruitment of state counsel and judges. Delays in onboarding new staff and judges led to delays in planned activities with the AGD and the SLJI for Quarter 3, specifically curriculum development and module development for the AGD’s new induction program.

On August 5, the country held general elections to elect members of Parliament. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa won by a clear majority, securing 145 out of the 225 seats in Parliament. Mr. Rajapaksa was sworn in as prime minister on August 9. On August 12, the President appointed a 25-member cabinet of ministers Mr. Ali Sabry, President’s Counsel (PC), was appointed as the Minister of Justice (the ministry having been reconstituted as the Ministry of Justice), the third individual to hold that position in less than 12 months. CORE Justice had worked with Mr.

1 The Consolidated Fund comprises state funds not allocated by law for specific purposes as set out in the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

5 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Sabry, PC, in his former capacity as the deputy president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (2017- 2019). On August 14, Mr. M.M.P.K. Mayadunne was appointed as the Secretary to MOJ.

The newly elected Ninth Parliament of Sri Lanka convened for the first time on August 20 and on August 28, Parliament passed an interim budget for the September 1 to December 2020 period. Parliament still has not approved an annual budget; instead, it has approved three interim budgets. Two appropriation bills will be presented to Parliament for 2020 and 2021 in November.

2. PROGRESS NARRATIVE AND IMPLEMENTATION STATUS Despite challenges presented by political events and public health regulations, CORE Justice adapted its activities and delivery mechanisms to provide support to counterparts

QUARTER AND ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS

QUARTER 4 ACHIEVEMENTS - Facilitated 14 continuing legal education webinars online with a total of 533 beneficiaries benefitting from the program. Collaborators included CLS, the Sri Lanka Lawyers Cricket Club (SLLCC) and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce-Institute for the Development of Commercial Law and Practice Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (CCC-ICLP ADR Centre). - Delivered five events on women in the legal profession including a career guidance program and a symposium on “Women and the Law” in September reaching 98 beneficiaries in total. - Advanced court observation skills development opportunities for seven civil society organizations through a three-day event - Ushered the development of the e-diary and file management system for the AGD into its final testing phase. - Launched the procurement and installation of digital and audio recording and video conferencing systems for the Commercial High Courts. - Facilitated a complementary management skills training opportunity for LAC management assistants to improve their soft and hard skills, critical to a more efficient organization.

YEAR 3 ACHIEVEMENTS The project completed more than 70 discrete interventions throughout the year.

Objective 1: Effectiveness of Core Justice Institutions, Processes, and Actors Strengthened

- Received approval from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to launch the model courts initiative in five courts, then added two labor tribunals bringing the total to seven. - Completed the data collection phase of implementation of the model courts initiative. - Secured AGD approval of the induction curriculum framework and finalized a draft curriculum and modules for the counterpart’s review. - Received SLJI approval of a curriculum development team and completed stakeholder and critical informant interviews and curriculum drafting for both the induction and continuing judicial education program. - Broke ground on the AGD’s Training and Development Center and completed 25 percent of the work by the close of Year 3. - Delivered seven activities to promote understanding and the use of arbitration and mediation in the Sri Lankan legal system.

6 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV - Led the development of a strategic business plan including branding and marketing for the ICLP/CCC to strengthen the use of arbitration and mediation in Sri Lanka and the region.

Objective 2: Transparency of and Citizen Engagement in the Justice System Improved

- Facilitated five trainings on “Customer Care and Service Excellence” for 216 court staff in five districts island wide - Designed and launched procurement and installation of a high-tech audio recording and video conferencing system for the three commercial high courts in Colombo. - Completed a comprehensive analysis of LAC’s communications processes and systems, both internal and external, and issued recommendations that the project has begun to implement at the end of Year 3. These include setting up and maintaining official email addresses for LAC staff, improving marketing material and branding, and upgrading employee management tracking to a web-based platform from the fingerprint identification system.

Objective 3: Governance, Qualifications, and Diversity of the Legal Profession Enhanced - Thirty-five continuing legal education webinars were held online reaching nearly 2,000 beneficiaries in collaboration with three counterparts. - Sponsored a study tour for 25 women law students to promote the range of opportunities available in the justice sector to women graduates. - Advanced legal and management skills training to LAC lawyers through 12 training opportunities including a specialized training of LAC trainers on adult learning techniques.

CROSSCUTTING ANALYSIS CORE Justice’s commitment to gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) and female beneficiaries was strongly reflected in the project’s initiatives to move CLE online in the early days of the pandemic. A total of 1,250 female lawyers and law students attended webinars offered during Year 3, both as stand-alone programs and in collaboration with counterparts such as LAC, CLS, the SLLCC and the CCC-ICLP ADR Centre. These online offerings expanded learning opportunities for women in the legal profession, especially in areas typically dominated by male legal professionals like forensic science and criminal law.

Highlights of Year 3 were the GESI focused events that took place in Quarter 4: - An online career guidance program reached 244 beneficiaries on sharing professional experiences of lawyers (both in active practice and in industries/sectors). Specifically, the program focused on how to prepare for careers in various industries/sectors and the skills and knowledge required as well as advice on challenges and how to overcome them. CORE Justice ensured the inclusion of well-established female legal professionals, both in active practice and from the public, private, and academic sectors and industries, in all panels, thereby adding a strong GESI perspective. - A symposium on “Women and the Law” addressed the lack or limited understanding among legal professionals and practitioners and discussed the socio-cultural dynamics of gender discrimination and violence. A total of 98 lawyers and law students attended, almost all of whom were women. - A training on court observation techniques supported skills development for 20 representatives from a diverse range of civil society organizations based in Colombo and across the country, working on human rights, gender rights, and related research, including at the grassroots level. - The project facilitated study tours in September 2019 and January 2020 for women law students and completed preparations for a third study tour for law students initially scheduled

7 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV for March/April and later postponed due to the pandemic. The third study tour will be held in early October with the participation of approximately 30 students from four universities.

COUNTERPART CONSULTATIONS Throughout the year, CORE Justice built relationships with leadership at the JSC, BASL, SLJI, AGD, and MOJ, and the success of this process is demonstrated by the progress and pace of implementation despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quarters 3 and 4 saw increased counterpart engagement, both remotely and in-person.Staff at CLS and other professional organizations including the AGD and SLJI had more time to work with the project during the curfew as the normal functions for these organizations were either on hold or significantly slowed due to offices being closed. This increased access facilitated the presentation of online continuing legal education programs, as both the BASL and CLS indicated interest in developing a more long-term online CLE approach complete with protocols and policy. SLJI and AGD staff worked closely with CORE Justice consultants and staff on curriculum development tasks.

As restrictions on movement eased somewhat toward the end of May, CORE Justice immediately started in-person meetings again to increase the pace of implementation and build on momentum gained during the shutdown. CORE Justice also worked closely with counterparts to resume some in-person events and trainings in line with GOSL health regulations. The progress in counterpart relationship building was evidenced by July’s civil trial advocacy skills training with the AGD, the project’s first large-scale in-person event since March and one of the island’s first major gatherings since relaxation of limitations on assembly.

A noteworthy development was the expansion of counterparts as CORE Justice began collaborating with CLS and the SLLCC – collectives that bring together legal professionals based on location and interest. These new counterparts widened the reach of CORE Justice’s activities, particularly CLE programs delivered online. CORE Justice support is helping these professional organizations fulfill their mandate to deliver quality continuing legal opportunities to lawyers and law students across the country, providing a platform that helps keep legal skills and knowledge relevant and responsive to the current context.

Additional counterpart engagement included: - CORE Justice facilitated several formal and informal site review meetings with representatives from the AGD, the project’s architects and rehabilitation contractor, the AGD contractor responsible for the demolition work and the MOJ engineer. These meetings helped track progress on work being carried out by the respective parties and address delays caused by the lockdown and later, inclement weather conditions. - The project had several meetings with the AGD on improving the Department’s law library with a review completed by the end of the quarter. - Key meetings on the installation and use of audio recording equipment at the Commercial High Courts (CHC) took place in mid-July between CORE Justice and CHC judge, Ahisan Marikar, and between CORE Justice, its selected contractor for the procurement and installation of the equipment, the CHC Court Registrar, the IT Registrar, and representatives from the BASL (members of the working committee set up to oversee the procurement of equipment and the development of relevant protocols governing their use) and Ms. S.M. Mohamed, the then Secretary to the MOJ and ministry staff. The meeting focused on proposed solutions and payment terms for the maintenance agreement for the digital audio recording equipment to be provided by CORE

8 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Justice to the CHCs and additional meetings with Judge Marikar and the JSC provided impetus for these issues to be resolved, making way for formal approval of the support. - CORE Justice met with the BASL leadership to discuss progress of ongoing support and to re- assess BASL’s commitment towards organizational development support by the project. - CORE Justice facilitated several meetings on the AGD e-diary and file management system involving AGD representatives, the software developer Affno and with the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), the statutorily mandated lead information and communication technology (ICT) agency for the Sri Lankan government, led to a formal agreement to host the e-diary system on the government cloud services managed by ICTA. This led the way for a formal training and user testing of the e-diary and file management system which took place in September. - A meeting with the leadership of LAC in July helped to frame CORE Justice support towards developing LAC’s ICT infrastructure.

OBJECTIVE 1: EFFECTIVENESS OF CORE JUSTICE INSTITUTIONS, PROCESSES, AND ACTORS STRENGTHENED

COMPETENCIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITIES STRENGTHENED (KRA 1.1) TRAINING ON APPELLATE ADVOCACY SKILLS FOR STATE COUNSEL. In Quarter 2 of Year 3, CORE Justice and the AGD agreed to develop training modules for state counsel, both existing and newly recruited, on criminal and civil appellate advocacy skills. In Year 3, AGD and the project agreed on two consultants - Civil Appellate Advocacy Advisor and Criminal Appellate Advocacy Advisor - who would collaborate with local working groups nominated by the AGD and lead the development of course outlines, training materials, and tools. With international travel restrictions in place, the advisors agreed to offer remote support. Both consultants are development training requirements and materials remotely in collaboration with CORE Justice’s technical team and the AGD working groups from the respective divisions.

Quarter 4 saw the consultants working with the AGD and CORE Justice to identify the required case brief materials which will be used to develop comprehensive course outlines that will frame training materials and tools for the respective courses. These comprehensive outlines will support sustainability of the intervention by providing a strong framework for future trainings on appellate advocacy skills facilitated by the AGD. The developed course outlines, training materials and tools will be piloted to test their efficacy in enhancing verbal and written advocacy skills of state counsel in appellate litigation. The AGD proposes to train approximately 50 state counsel on each course in the first round of training with the program to be expanded based on feedback.

TRAINING ON CIVIL TRIAL ADVOCACY SKILLS. On July 24 and 25, CORE Justice supported a training on civil trial advocacy skills for 92 state counsel attached to the Civil Division of the AGD, including some members of the most recently recruited batch of law officers. The training was learner- centered and aimed at improving trial advocacy skills of state counsel to carry out civil litigation effectively and with high standards of professionalism.

9 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV The training was delivered by judges with a range of seniority and experience in civil adjudication and by senior law officers from the AGD. The training was significant for several reasons: it was the first capacity development program offered to the Civil Division in two-and- a-half years and the first where senior judges, both retired and sitting, collaborated with the AGD, to constitute a high caliber pool of trainers. In another first, the training featured remote learning – a key tool used by CORE Justice facilitated training on “Civil Trial Advocacy Skills” for state counsel, CORE Justice to offer CLE during the July 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka earlier days of the COVID-19 pandemic – with a retired President of the Court of the Appeal facilitating a session online from outside of Colombo. Participants greatly benefited from sessions run by judges which provided insights into court proceedings and expectations of state counsel from the perspective of the bench. The training also provided space to network, bringing together state counsel based across the island to share experiences and ideas.

For CORE Justice, supporting this initiative of the AGD will help ensure that state counsel have trial and other skills, essential for them to carry out responsibilities in an efficient and systematic manner – thereby, supporting more skilled legal professionals and a stronger justice sector.

SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STATE ATTORNEYS. At the request of the counterpart, CORE Justice extended its technical and material support to the AGD to develop and deliver a workshop for state attorneys attached to the State Attorneys’ Branch of the Department. The goal is to strengthen the effectiveness of the civil litigation process of the Department by improving the competencies of state attorneys who act as the registered attorneys and proxy holders for the Attorney General and other government officers in civil litigation.

In August, CORE Justice shared a workshop outline with the AGD for review with a workshop proposed for December 2020. The workshop will address the improvement of competencies on the application of civil and other special procedural laws in pre-litigation and litigation processes and professionalism of State Attorneys. Topics will include procedural matters relating to civil litigation in the District Courts, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, land acquisition, debt recovery, international child abduction, commercial arbitration and matters relating to local and international agreements in which the government is a party. Development of materials and tools will commence early in Year 4 once the AGD gives approval. This activity seeks to strengthen the effectiveness of the AGD and to improve competencies and professionalism of state attorneys. In addition, all the state attorneys in the division being women, CORE Justice will be supporting increased professional of women in active legal practice.

SUPPORTING THE AGD’S CHILD PROTECTION UNIT. The Child Protection Unit of the AGD falls within the purview of the Criminal Division and is the first referral point for police investigation reports on criminal matters where the victim is below 18 years of age. Following a request made by the AGD in Quarter 4, CORE Justice is providing technical and material support to the Criminal Division of the Department to develop and deliver a workshop for attorneys-at-law attached to its

10 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Child Protection Unit. The proposed training will work to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of prosecutions on criminal matters involving victims below the age of 18.

In late September, CORE Justice submitted a revised training outline to the Attorney General for approval. This followed an initial review by the Acting Solicitor General and included a request that the Department nominate trainers for a training tentatively scheduled for 24 attorneys. Once the training outline is approved and trainers are identified by the Department, CORE Justice will work with the trainers in developing the training module that includes adult learning techniques to enhance delivery of the curriculum.

TRAINING FOR THE PROSECUTORS IN THE CRIMINAL DIVISION. At the request of AGD, CORE Justice is collaborating with the Criminal Division of the Department to develop a training program for prosecutors. Initial discussions on the objectives and the nature of the training are in progress with a meeting with the Senior Additional Solicitor General scheduled early in Year 4.

SUPPORTING SLJI NET. At the start of Quarter 1, following discussions with SLJI, CORE Justice shifted its focus of proposed technical assistance from SLJI NET to SLJI curriculum development and support on training.

SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF SLJI CURRICULUM FOR INDUCTION PROGRAM. CORE Justice support to SLJI in Year 3 centered on technical assistance to SLJI to develop a new induction program for newly recruited judges attached to lower courts (District Courts and Magistrate’s Courts). The counterpart agreed to the composition of the curriculum development team at the end of Quarter 2, and Quarter 3 saw the team and CORE Justice staff commence phase 1 of the induction program’s development plan. The team completed the data collection methodology and tools for the training needs analysis which are designed to gather information required for the development of a comprehensive, effective, and sustainable induction program. In June, SLJI approved the methodology and tools at its Board of Management meeting and coordinated with the JSC, AGD, and the BASL to seek nominations of participants for interviews and focus group discussions.

On August 12, CORE Justice, in collaboration with SLJI, held two focus group discussions with representatives from the AGD and the BASL to obtain opinions and views of legal practitioners to inform judicial curriculum development. Their input will help the CORE Justice team identify gaps relating to judicial knowledge, CORE Justice-SLJI focus group discussion with representatives from the BASL, August skills, and attitudes to be 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka addressed in the induction program which will be developed by the curriculum development team.

Discussions were remotely facilitated by CORE Justice’s Curriculum Development Advisor and marked the first occasion where SLJI has sought contributions from non-judicial stakeholders in developing its curriculum and training framework.

11 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV CORE Justice will work with SLJI to schedule focus group discussions with judges and court registrars in the next quarter as part of Phase I: development of the comprehensive curriculum for the induction program. Quarters 1 and 2 of Year 4 will then focus on Phase II: development of lesson plans, training methods and tools for the induction program and Phase III – adopt and implement the comprehensive curriculum for the induction program.

TECHNICAL AND/OR OTHER ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION RULES. In Quarter 1 of Year 3, CORE Justice and the CCC-ICLP ADR Centre collaborated on several events in November 2019 to increase awareness of mediation and to highlight the positive role it can play in dispute resolution. Technical assistance was provided by CORE Justice’s Arbitration and Mediation Advisor and CORE Justice Chief of Party. Events included a symposium on “Mediation as a Method of Practical Settlement of Disputes”, which highlighted mediation as an alternative to court-based litigation; a workshop for mediators focused on commercial mediation, best practices, and factors to be considered in adopting commercial mediation in Sri Lanka; a discussion on introducing commercial mediation to Sri Lanka and ways forward; and engagements with law students and junior attorneys-at-law, providing platforms for networking, information-sharing on career options available, and highlighting practical examples where professional barriers and challenges have been overcome.

In Quarters 2 and 3, proposed events supporting arbitration and mediation in Sri Lanka had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, i.e., the annual Victor’s Moot Competition organized by the Moot Society of Sri Lanka Law and a roundtable discussion on mediation with the CCC-ICLP ADR Centre.

In response, CORE Justice, collaborated with the CCC-ICLP ADR Centre in August and early September to deliver a series of webinars on online dispute resolution (ODR) facilitated by international ODR advisors. - On August 13, the project facilitated a webinar titled, “Introduction to Online Dispute Resolution” which attracted an audience of 46 lawyers and law students. The ODR advisors focused the session on introducing ODR, speaking about the need for ODR, the conceptual background and its role in reducing the need for people to go to courts to resolve their disputes. - On August 27, the webinar focused on “How Mediators and Arbitrators Can Move Their Practice Online”. A total of 16 lawyers and law students attended the webinar which looked at software that may be used, threats to be aware of, such as malware and cyber-attacks, what the mediator/arbitrator should do prior to using new Screengrab: CORE Justice-CCC-ICLP ADR Centre Webinar, “How Mediators and Arbitrators software and how they can Can Move Their Practice Online”, August 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka gain their clients’ trust by not recording sessions. The facilitators shared a questionnaire with registered participants prior to the session to assess their style of work and the role of technology in their work. Responses helped shape the overall presentation and supported an interactive discussion. - The webinar held on September 3 focused on “Online Dispute Resolution: Ethics and Best Practices” and explored ethical standards of ODR within the framework of the International

12 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Council for Online Dispute Resolution’s standards. The facilitators spoke about ethics for ODR platform designers, as well as payment platforms that are available, and used ‘practice dilemmas’ to explore established standards from a practical perspective. Seventeen lawyers and law students attended the webinar. Through this series of webinars, CORE Justice supported the Centre’s objective of increasing awareness of forms of alternative dispute resolution within Sri Lanka to be more responsive and relevant to the changing needs of the public and evolving contexts.

TECHNICAL AND/OR OTHER ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE USE OF ARBITRATION IN SRI LANKA. In Quarter 2, following a request from the CCC-ICLP Centre, CORE Justice enlisted technical assistance from a Branding and Marketing Advisor to develop a branding and marketing plan and strategic plan for the Centre. A branding and marketing plan will help the Centre establish a consistent and clear image and will serve as an important tool to advance the Centre’s position that alternative dispute resolution is an effective option to help make justice system processes more effective and efficient.

The pandemic and related travel restrictions prevented planned travel to Sri Lanka and compelled the Branding and Marketing Advisor to work remotely with CORE Justice and the Centre in developing a business strategy and branding and marketing plan. In June, the Centre circulated an online public perception survey focusing on the feasibility of enhancing Sri Lanka’s position as an alternative dispute resolution center both locally and internationally. Respondents included attorneys-at-law, litigants, law students and professionals from industries involved in alternative dispute resolution such as the engineering sector. Responses informed the development of the marketing and branding plan and strategic plan. In August, the advisor presented a draft business plan and marketing/branding plan which are currently being reviewed by the Board of Management of the Centre.

DEVELOPMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY OF LAC ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. LAC plays a key role in the justice sector as the statutory body tasked with providing legal aid and assistance on civil matters to low income groups. LAC also broadens awareness about the sector and functions of the legal system among the public. On September 26, CORE Justice, in consultation with LAC, supported a training for 84 management assistants attached to the LAC head office in Colombo and 73 out of the 88 centers across the island. Management assistants take on essential functional leadership roles in the LAC regional centers and require competencies in management skills to support the centers to deliver services to clients efficiently and effectively. Working with LAC, CORE Justice developed a training focused on adult learning and skills and competencies required by management assistants to further LAC’s organizational development goals. This activity followed a CORE Justice supported series of trainings and webinars targeting LAC legal officers which took place earlier in Year 3.

Sessions, delivered by senior LAC staff and “The training was well organized. The program was full of CORE Justice, covered the role of management different experiences, knowledge building and interactive assistants, their duties, expectations of the not only for myself but my colleagues as well. I am very position, and personal leadership and included happy with the way the program was organized – it gave theory and practical discussions along with me a chance to share experiences with my colleagues and team-building exercises. Participants said they to network. I appreciated the emphasis placed in the greatly appreciated the training topics as well presentations on the importance of working together. We as the space to network and collaborate across would welcome more trainings like this in the future. centers. - Participant, Training for LAC Management Assistants

13 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV By building the skills of management assistants, CORE Justice is supporting stronger LAC regional centers with increased staff and organizational capacity to handle clients and client requests in an efficient and effective way. In turn, this will strengthen LAC’s role as the country’s principal legal aid provider.

SKILLS TRAINING FOR COURT REGISTRARS ON COURT MANAGEMENT. In Year 2, CORE Justice facilitated two trainings on court and case management for court registrars in line with JSC priorities to develop a more qualified and professional cadre of court registrars. A uniform training will provide training opportunities to all registrars and will enhance their skills to support court management, case management, and case delay reduction initiatives

In February 2020, the JSC approved CORE Justice’s proposal to expand trainings on court management, case management, and case automation to court registrars island wide. The trainings will target 250 court registrars. This series is in addition to 88 court registrars the project trained in Year 2.

In preparation for a two-part series of trainings, CORE Justice onboarded two Court Management Advisors in Quarter 2 to review and revise the existing training curriculum. The project planned for both consultants to field in June, but with COVID-19 restrictions, the consultants were unable to travel to Sri Lanka. This program requires in-person instruction, so its eventual success will likely require a resumption of travel to Sri Lanka. By the end of Year 3, the Court Management Advisors had developed the training presentation and session outline both of which were shared with the JSC for review at the end of Quarter 4. If approved, CORE Justice will support the JSC in adopting the presentation as a training manual.

While the trainings on court management, case management, and case automation will be delivered together, they contribute to two key result areas (KRA 1.1 and 1.2) as they have twin objectives of strengthening administrative capacities as well as case management practices of court staff. As such, CORE Justice has reported on the series of activities in both sections of this report.

CASE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES STRENGTHENED (KRA 1.2) MODEL COURTS – PLANNING AND PREPARATION. This project year, CORE Justice recorded significant progress with the model courts initiative beginning in February 2020 when CORE Justice received formal approval from the JSC to introduce and pilot model courts in selected courts2 in Colombo.

While the COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays in the model courts preparatory process with current travel restrictions also preventing CORE Justice’s Court Performance Management Advisor from providing in-country support, the following key events and decisions have moved forward work on model courts.

- On June 16, CORE Justice hosted an orientation meeting for key stakeholders in the pilot: Supreme Court Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, PC, (member of the JSC), Judge Sanjeewa Somaratne

2 Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court, Nugegoda District Court, Colombo High Court No. 06, Commercial High Court No. 01, Commercial High Court No. 3, Labor Tribunal No. 01 and Labor Tribunal No. 13..

14 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV (secretary to the JSC), judges of the courts where model courts are to be implemented, USAID and CORE Justice. Facilitated by the Court Performance Management Advisor , the meeting focused on familiarizing participants with the implementation plan, timeline, expectations, and next steps. - On June 30, CORE Justice received confirmation that the JSC has agreed to set up separate committees—led by the judge officiating as the head of the department of that particular court— to oversee the model court process in each model court. - Also, in June, the JSC also approved CORE Justice’s request to collect data to establish baselines for case management planning and requested the relevant judges to provide information as per the format developed by the Court Performance Management Advisor . - On July 20, CORE Justice received confirmation of JSC approval to include Labor Tribunal Nos. 1 and 13 in the model courts initiative. The JSC also approved the establishment of separate committees comprising all relevant stakeholders - headed by the president of the labor tribunal officiating as the head of the department of that particular tribunal - to oversee the model court process in respect of the relevant labor tribunal. - On August 6, the advisor facilitated a workshop with the CORE Justice model courts team in preparation for the next stages of model courts implementation. He guided the team through guidelines and questions as well as the process to be followed during upcoming interviews with judges and registrars of courts where model courts are to be implemented. - In early September, CORE Justice began interviewing judges and registrars attached to courts where model courts are established. The CORE Justice team also observed court sessions and in some instances, were allowed to visit court records rooms. While the Court Performance Management Advisor was initially due to conduct interviews with judges and registrars during a site visit to Sri Lanka, he remains unable to travel due to current travel restrictions. CORE Justice, therefore, worked with the advisor to conduct interviews on his behalf in line with the workplan. Nearly all the interviews were completed in Quarter 4 with only meetings with the presidents and registrars of the two labor tribunals carried forward into October (Quarter 1 of Year 4). These interviews provide details regarding the courts’ processes and systems used for case processing including day to day routine processes on how cases are listed, called, prioritized, processed, and stored by the registry. Questions also focused on identifying and addressing bottlenecks in court processes that judges and registrars feel are priorities for change. Court visits also included observations of the court premises including the layout, services available for litigants, overall infrastructure, and signage. The information will form the basis for specific change recommendations. Further, the data will form important baselines for designing case flow management strategies and will help the project measure the impact of the new processes. - In mid-September, the magistrate of Nugegoda was transferred to Colombo as part of the JSC’s mid-year transfers of judges. The Nugegoda’s Magistrate’s Court is part of CORE Justice’s model court initiative and the project sought guidance from the JSC on the impact of this transfer. By end September, CORE Justice received confirmation from the JSC that the model courts initiative would continue to include the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court. CORE Justice will work closely with the new magistrate once appointed to minimize any disruption to ongoing engagement with this court. Throughout Quarter 4, the team also provided the Court Performance Management Advisor with copies of court documentation, (for example, organizational charts, samples of a daily calendar and journal entries), including analyses and translations where documents were available only in local languages. CORE Justice will also collect additional information from the JSC on automation of forms used in court and is also exploring the possibility of conducting a limited court user survey early in Year 4 to gather more detailed information specific to the model courts work.

15 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV The project and JSC plan to formally launch the model courts procedures in January 2021 following a rigorous preparatory phase in the months leading up to that point. CORE Justice’s model courts will lead to results beyond addressing case delays and case flow management including recommendations on stronger institutional performance measurement and management systems, improved information sharing and communications mechanisms and reporting frameworks for courts. Well-organized courts with improved mechanisms will contribute to a strong justice sector and stronger systems for the administration of justice.

The model courts initiative is cross-cutting and includes activities that contribute to multiple KRAs (1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.2) as outlined in the approved work plan. As such, CORE Justice is reporting on the initiative under each KRA.

SKILLS TRAINING FOR COURT REGISTRARS ON CASE MANAGEMENT AND AUTOMATION. As discussed under KRA 1.1 of this report, in February 2020, the JSC approved CORE Justice’s proposal to provide skills training for court registrars on court management, case management, and automation to registrars island-wide. While the trainings on court management, case management, and case automation will be delivered together, they contribute to two KRAs (1.1 and 1.2). The case management and automation training will include material on standards, expectations, and skills the court registrars can use to support the judiciary in better managing their cases. CORE Justice has reported on the series of activities in both sections of this report.

MOBILE E-DIARY SYSTEM FOR THE AGD. In October 2019, the AGD and CORE Justice signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the e-diary which specified the responsibilities of both parties in the development and implementation of the software. CORE Justice contracted Affno to work with the AGD’s working group to develop the requirement specifications for both the e-diary and file management system and by March 2020, Affno had had completed software development, including desktop and mobile versions.

Following on this key milestone, the project noted the highlights below indicating significant progress with the e-diary initiative.

- In April 2020, the AGD the AGD officially asked ICTA3 to host the e-diary system on the government cloud. On April 21, ICTA provided access to Affno to host the e-diary system on the government cloud services following which Affno successfully deployed the latest developed software version on the cloud, marking the completion of an essential step required for the user acceptance testing and user training to begin. - On July 28, Affno presented the semi-final software, which incorporated several rounds of feedback and input following a meeting in April, to representatives from the AGD, including the acting Solicitor General, USAID and CORE Justice. This was the final step before the project launched the user testing phase which included training selected staff categories on using the software.

3 ICTA is the statutorily-mandated lead ICT agency for the Sri Lankan government.

16 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV - On September 21 and 22, CORE Justice and Affno facilitated a user testing and training for the AGD’s administrative staff, an IT officer, and the 11-member AGD working group that has been overseeing the development of the software together with CORE Justice over the course of Year 3. Collectively, participants represented the various divisions and units which make up the AGD – including the Child Protection Unit, the State Attorneys’ Division and Criminal and Civil Divisions. Through this training and user testing, Affno and the AGD’s IT officer collected feedback on the practical aspects of using the e-diary and CORE Justice facilitated user testing and training on the e-diary and file management system for the Attorney General’s Department, file management software both from the September 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka perspective of law officers and the AGD staff who will be helping to manage and run the system. - On September 30, CORE Justice and representatives from the AGD met with Sri Lanka CERT|CC4, which acts as the government focal point for cyber security for Sri Lanka. The parties agreed to carry out a security audit of the e-diary software and file management system before data is loaded onto the ICTA cloud. Affno, the software developer, will arrange an online demonstration of the application for Sri Lanka CERT|CC to understand the scope of the application. CERT will develop a proposal with terms, conditions and related costs for the security audit – a priority for CORE Justice and Affno in the quarter to come. - CORE Justice, in collaboration with Affno, is also in the process of developing a training manual on the systems with plans to train AGD officers and the system administrator as trainers to continue user-training for new additions to the legal and administrative staff.

In supporting stronger case management systems and processes for the “The e-diary system will make the AGD, CORE Justice is facilitating an important step towards automation, officers rely less on physical files and 5 a long-term goal for the AGD and the broader GOSL . Better managed will enable them to use their staff and resources through the e-diary and file management system time in a more productive manner.” means a Department better equipped and geared to fulfil its mandate – Law Officer, Attorney General’s and role in the justice sector in Sri Lanka. With nearly 200 new state Department counsel in the process of being onboarded and an increase in prosecutions and files being handled in the Department, there is a

4 Computer Emergency Readiness Team | Co-ordination Center. 5 In the past year, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GOSL has shown an increased interest in and commitment towards digitalization of courts. For example, in May 2020, the MOJ launched a pilot project to digitally connect courts in with the Magazine prison, the largest prison in Sri Lanka. Under the pilot detainees “appear” in court using video technology, doing away with the need for physical visits to courts. At the time of writing, in October 2020, the Minister of Justice appointed members to five sub-committees to rapidly reform and modernize the legal system of Sri Lanka, including a sub-committee on “Digitization and Court Automation”.

17 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV greater need and priority for improved case management systems and processes for the Department, not only to manage work but also to generate quality management data for administrators. Currently, the Department exclusively uses hard copies for record-keeping. Shifting these records to an electronic system via the new e-diary and file management software will significantly strengthen efficient case assignment and file tracking processes. CORE Justice anticipates that this system will be updated and ready to go live by mid-November 2020.

INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS STRENGTHENED (KRA 1.3) ESTABLISHMENT OF TIME STANDARDS FOR CASE DISPOSITION AND BACKLOG REDUCTION AND STANDARD CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE REPORTS. In addition to the objectives stated under KRA 1.2, the model courts initiative is also designed to produce recommendations for establishing stronger institutional performance measurement and management systems for the courts, with specific attention to performance tied to time standards for case disposition and backlog reduction. The information that CORE Justice requested from the model courts judges on case management will help inform the time standards for case disposition and will help the team map out potential backlog reduction strategies that are realistic and appropriate for the context. This is part of the ongoing documentation and analysis phase planned for Quarter 1 of Year 4.

The model courts initiative is cross-cutting and includes activities that contribute to multiple KRAs (1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.2) as outlined in the approved work plan. As such, CORE Justice is reporting on the initiative under each KRA.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND PROFESSIONALISM OF PERSONNEL STRENGTHENED (KRA 1.4) SKILLS ENHANCEMENT FOR COURT-APPOINTED FAMILY COUNSELORS. In May/June 2018, CORE Justice supported three training sessions conducted by the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka for 79 (46 women and 33 men) court-attached family counselors. The counselors serve important functions ranging from informally guiding families through the court system to providing non-clinical psychosocial counseling. Though their job descriptions do not directly charge them with the task of helping to facilitate a smoother judicial process, they help to ensure the process is more efficient by working with families to process sensitive issues while simultaneously responding to and following up on directives from the court. The training included substantive knowledge and skills to help family counselors perform their duties more effectively and with higher quality. The JSC believes stronger assistance and skills for the family counselors will increase the efficiency of family case adjudication. In Year 2, CORE Justice proposed support for ten of the trained family counselors to complete an additional certificate in counseling and in the last quarter of Year 3, the JSC Secretariat selected 13 family counselors to take the course, with the selection pending confirmation by the JSC. The course is designed and delivered by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, a government institution that coordinates treatment, delivers preventative programming, and leads outreach initiatives to combat the abuse of licit and illicit drugs.

REDESIGN CURRICULUM AND TRAINING MATERIALS FOR THE AGD STATE COUNSEL INDUCTION PROGRAM. CORE Justice and the AGD agreed to a curriculum framework in Year 3, and the project has been developing the modules steadily since that point. In the last two quarters of Year 3, CORE Justice continued with phase 2 of the activity (lesson plan development) with remote technical assistance from a Curriculum Development Specialist and in consultation with the AGD working group led by the acting Solicitor General. During this period, the specialist completed the development of lesson plans and training materials for Module 1: Orientation to the AGD and Module

18 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV 2: Skill Development: Crosscutting Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities and an instructor’s handbook on developing lesson plans and training materials together with respective templates. The handbook will guide the AGD instructors in developing lesson plans and training materials for Module 3: Advocacy Skills of the curriculum. Performance evaluations also took priority during this quarter, and the Curriculum Development Specialist developed a concept note on a participants’ performance evaluation mechanism for the induction program. The concept note laid out a number of options for the AGD to decide how best to evaluate performance of new state counsel. CORE Justice further develop the concept note and evaluation mechanism based on feedback from the AGD. In the upcoming quarter, CORE Justice will support the AGD instructors to develop and improve lesson plans, training materials and tools for the induction program in collaboration with the Curriculum Development Specialist for the induction program. The Department is intending to conduct the redesigned induction program for the new batch of state counsel scheduled to be recruited in the second quarter of Year 4.

Supporting the redesign of the curriculum will help ensure that the Department has the necessary curriculum and tools to onboard newly recruited state counsel within a short time frame and which meet current training needs of the Department. The revised curriculum will focus on building litigation/advocacy skills and other relevant cross-cutting skills such as critical thinking and analyzing skills, GESI sensitization, communication skills, language skills, and digital literacy skills.

AGD TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER. In October 2019, the AGD and CORE Justice signed an MOU on the rehabilitation of an existing space within the AGD premises into a TDC for the Department. A contractor, Leema Creations, was selected in February 2020 and work began in March. The rehabilitation phase continued through Year 3 with delays in the work schedule due to COVID-19 measures which restricted access to the TDC space for contractors for over eight weeks in April and May.

While the rehabilitation phase continues into Year 4, highlights from Quarter 4 include:

- The AGD’s demolition contractor, Ceylon Construction, completed the floor work, repairs to the roof, demolition of walls and plastering work. Some of the work had been delayed due to inclement weather conditions. - CORE Justice’s rehabilitation contractor, Leema Creations, selected an electrical consultant to produce wiring diagrams and designs. Wiring designs and diagrams as well as networking data point diagrams were completed and are being reviewed by MSN Architects. Once the review is complete, the electrical consultant will provide the material list for CORE Justice to procure. - On September 14, CORE Justice, potential air conditioning suppliers, Leema Creations and the electrical wiring contractor met with the electrical consultant and a representative from the AGD IT Department at the TDC premises. The electrical design for the premises was discussed and finalized pending a decision on the air conditioning. CORE Justice agreed to provide technical support for the network wiring design. - By the end of September, Leema Creations had completed the waterproofing test and started plumbing/tiling work.

19 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Heading into Year 4, CORE Justice will continue to have regular informal progress review meetings with the AGD to move work forward and to resolve delays where they arise. Pending rehabilitation work includes the conduit work and installation of air-conditioning by a CORE Justice selected supplier.

Premises of the Attorney General’s Department’s Training and Development Centre, June 2020/September 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka

Once completed, the TDC will offer highly professionalized training for new recruits as well as an in-house training component for staff already in service. With the addition of a more accessible space equipped specifically for training, the AGD will be able to deliver its induction program for new recruits and support the continuous capacity and development of all counsel attached to the Department.

CONDUCT TRIAL ADVOCACY SKILLS COURSE FOR NEW STATE COUNSEL. This activity has been postponed to Year 4 due to delays in recruitment of new state counsel on the part of the AGD.

AGD LAW LIBRARY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. At the progress review meeting held on May 28, CORE Justice and the AGD signed a letter of understanding on potential activities to recommend improvements to the AGD law library to better support their legal staff to conduct research and prepare higher quality, consistent, and transparent cases. CORE Justice’s Library Improvement Consultant worked remotely over Quarters 3 and 4, concentrating on an analysis of space utilization, adequacy of collections, and proper archival protocols for old/valuable documents.

Several remote/in-person meetings took place to help gather information on the library space, existing facilities, staff capacity, usage of the library and requirements of library users (primarily state counsel) and decide on next steps. With travel to Sri Lanka restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Library Improvement Consultant provided an assessment report on the nature of the services provided by the library and adequacy of existing facilities to provide an effective library service. The report further provided recommendations for improvement of facilities for more efficient and quality service at three levels, namely short-term, medium-term and long-term. The consultant also recommended the addition of a library webpage and e-resources to the Department website as the first step in improving the AGD library.

SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF JUDICIAL EDUCATION PLAN STANDARDIZED COURSE MODULES AND GUIDES FOR SLJI TRAINERS. In addition to the curriculum development support detailed above, (KRA 1.1), SLJI requested CORE Justice technical assistance to develop a judicial education plan and course modules to be used in training new and existing judges. The curriculum will

20 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV focus on improving knowledge, skills and attitudes of sitting judges of courts of first instance and Presidents of Labor Tribunals through continuing judicial education.

While CORE Justice initially focused on courses on GESI and prevention of torture, topics were later revised after consultation with SLJI. On September 29, CORE Justice submitted concept notes on three courses to SLJI for review – courses include “Effective Use of Forensic Evidence in Delivering Justice”, “Handling Torture Cases at the Pre-Trial and Trial Process”, and “Effective Delivery of Justice on Labor Disputes by Presidents of Labor Tribunals”. These courses will be offered to sitting judges including Magistrates, District Court judges and Labor Tribunal Presidents depending on jurisdiction and cases heard.

Also, on September 29, at the request of the SLJI director, CORE Justice submitted a concept note on developing three commercial law-oriented courses. These training courses will enhance adjudicating skills of judges on emerging issues in commercial law, corporate law and intellectual property law. Trainees will include judges who will potentially be promoted to CHCs.

By supporting standardized courses for SLJI, CORE Justice is supporting a sustainable training program with uniform standards across courses. Once approved, these short courses will be developed with support from international experts and local consultants and integrated into the SLJI continuing judicial education curriculum and supplement the induction program being designed for Magistrates and District Court judges with CORE Justice’s support.

COORDINATION AND INFORMATION SHARING STRENGTHENED (KRA 1.5) MODEL COURTS – PROMOTE INFORMATION SHARING AMONG JSC AND MINISTRY OF JUSTICE ON CASE MANAGEMENT. In addition to the objectives stated under KRA 1.2, the model courts initiative is also designed to explore opportunities to create efficiencies by promoting information sharing between the JSC and the MOJ. In Quarter 3, CORE Justice’s IT advisor developed initial recommendations for IT-related interventions to integrate information sharing as part of the model courts work. As follow up and with the near completion of the data collection phase, CORE Justice will meet with its IT advisor, Court Performance Management Advisor, Court Audio and Video Records Advisor early in October to discuss the development of an IT plan including a case management system for the model courts.

The model courts initiative is cross-cutting and includes activities that contribute to multiple KRAs (1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.2) as outlined in the approved work plan. As such, CORE Justice is reporting on the initiative under each KRA.

OBJECTIVE 2: TRANSPARENCY OF AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVED

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTING ARE IMPROVED (KRA 2.1) SUPPORT IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS FOR LAC’S VISIBILITY AND AWARENESS. Early in Year 3, (December 2019 to March 2020), CORE Justice’s Strategic Communications Specialist led a comprehensive communications assessment for LAC to document the organization’s internal and external communication practices and processes and propose recommendations. LAC invited CORE Justice to conduct the communications assessment following recommendations from a broader organizational assessment completed in June 2019.

21 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV On April 17, the Strategic Communications Specialist remotely presented findings from the communications assessment to the Chairman of LAC. Findings and recommendations broadly relate to the need for a communications strategy providing clear policies and guidelines, well-designed monitoring and reporting mechanisms, an annual planning mechanism, stronger recording, archival and retrieval systems, and training, among others. Initial findings also noted LAC’s reliance on telephone, post and email to communicate with clients, LAC regional centers and other communications requirements, and the inadequacy of these traditional platforms to meet the demands of a legal aid service provider.

A detailed report was presented to LAC for approval in Quarter 4. Feedback is pending from the Chairman of LAC. CORE Justice will schedule a meeting early in the next quarter to move this work forward based on recommendations agreed on by both parties and in line with the overall organizational development strategy adopted by CORE Justice in providing support to LAC.

SUPPORTING LAC’S ANNUAL REPORTS. CORE Justice is supporting the translation, as required, and printing of LAC’s 2015, 2016, and 2017 annual reports. After completing a review of LAC’s internal and external communications policies, procedures, and practices, CORE Justice recommended several steps to improve awareness about LAC’s offerings and printing and distributing the annual reports was one. Once printed, LAC will share these reports with the MOJ, members of parliament, and other stakeholders to help disseminate information on LAC, its activities, and the services the organization provides. The reports will be placed in 80 offices in total, helping LAC address its deficiency in promoting awareness about its services and successes. The report will be available in English, Sinhala, and Tamil and will be available at select regional offices to reach a wider audience.

MODEL COURTS – TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR STANDARDIZING AND IMPROVING REPORTING FROM COURTS TO THE MOJ. In addition to the objectives stated under KRA 1.2, the model courts initiative is also designed to explore opportunities to create efficiencies by standardizing and improving reporting between the courts and the MOJ. The documentation and analysis phase planned for the upcoming quarter will include a component on this.

The model courts initiative is cross-cutting and includes activities that contribute to multiple KRA (1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.2) as outlined in the approved work plan. As such, CORE Justice is reporting on the initiative under each KRA.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION DISSEMINATION AMONG LAW STUDENTS. In Quarter 2, the BASL organized orientation programs for first year students at Sri Lanka Law College and at the Faculty of Law, . These were the first events of this nature for new law students. CORE Justice supported the initiative by providing copies of the Supreme Court Rules for attorneys-at-law and a student’s handbook for participants (250 copies for Sri Lanka Law College and 200 for the Faculty of Law). These publications will help these new students understand how the legal profession is governed and provide them information on the expectations of attorneys-at-law. CORE Justice’s chief of party spoke to 241 new students (197 women and 44 men) at the orientation event at Sri Lanka Law College held on February 1. The session focused on options and career choices for new attorneys-at-law.

INFORMATION SERVICES AND USER FEEDBACK MECHANISMS IMPROVED (KRA 2.2) TRAININGS ON “CUSTOMER CARE AND SERVICE EXCELLENCE” FOR COURT STAFF. In 2019, CORE Justice supported a well-received series of trainings on customer care and service excellence for 112 court staff from the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts. In early February 2020, the JSC approved CORE Justice’s proposal to expand these trainings island-wide. The first

22 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV training in the expanded series was due to be held on March 15 and 16 but was later cancelled at the request of the JSC due to the spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.

In August 2020, CORE Justice and the JSC collaborated to resume a series of trainings on customer care and service excellence for court staff that had been put on hold in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

- On August 29 and 30, the training was held in Kurunegala for 48 court staff from the Kurunegala district. Participants included interpreters, court clerks, stenographers, and typists nominated by the JSC. - On September 5 and 6, 50 court staff – including courts clerks, stenographers, typists and interpreters - working in different courts across the Galle district, attended the training. On September 26 and 27, 39 court staff attended the training, including court clerks, bookbinders, stenographers, typists, and court interpreters who work in different courts in the Puttalam district. CORE Justice supported “Training on Customer Care and Service Excellence” for court staff, Galle District, September 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka The customized training curriculum – first used in the trainings that took place in 2019 - included components on improving internal and external communications, team building, and skills development with practical exercises to help participants better understand how to apply the theoretical “This is the best training I have received during elements to a court setting. Participants also discussed the entire time I’ve been working at courts and the practical issues they face in carrying out their roles. I believe I can provide a better customer service Participants said they appreciated the interactive nature in the future with the knowledge gained at this of the training, the hands-on approach and group training. Work stress is relieved, and the trainer activities used by the trainer. The JSC’s Senior Registrar is a valuable resource. This type of trainings and Administrative Officer attended the trainings as an should be provided for all the court staff.” observer. – Participant, Training on Customer Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff For CORE Justice, these trainings support people- centered justice programing which is key in building responsive and accessible justice systems. The project will continue to collaborate with the JSC in ensuring that trainings are extended, as proposed, across the island, allowing a wider and diverse cadre of court staff to benefit from the series of trainings.

ICT SUPPORT TO THE CHC. In August 2019, the JSC approved CORE Justice’s proposal to give ICT support to the CHCs, including the purchase of digital audio recording (DAR) and video conferencing systems (VCS) for the three CHC courtrooms in Colombo. CORE Justice identified this need in June 2018 in an infrastructure assessment. To move the procurement forward, the CHC

23 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV established a committee of justice sector representatives6 at the start of Year 3 (October 2019) with CORE Justice providing technical assistance.

In November 2019, following a request from the CHC, CORE Justice and the project’s Court Audio and Visual Records Advisor worked with the CHC to draft the protocols for use and maintenance of the equipment. The advisor also assisted with offering recommendations to develop the ICT function at the CHCs including establishing a clear staff structure. The working committee approved the protocols in December.

Through Quarter 3, CORE Justice supported the working committee to revise their policy framework that includes oversight and responsibilities and protocols for the new equipment, which framework was forwarded to the JSC for approval. On June 8, CORE Justice received formal approval from the JSC for the adoption of the proposed policy framework. The adoption of the framework is an important step in moving the procurement forward: it outlines ownership, responsibilities of users and most importantly, measures to ensure sustainability of the new systems beyond the lifetime of the CORE Justice program.

On July 16, CORE Justice, Swedish Trading Audio Visual (Pvt) Ltd (Swedish Trading) – the selected contractor for the procurement and installation of DAR equipment, the CHC court registrar, the IT Registrar, and representatives from the BASL (members of the working committee set up to oversee the procurement of equipment and the development of relevant protocols governing their use) met with the then Secretary to the MOJ and ministry staff. The meeting focused on proposed solutions and payment terms for the maintenance agreement for the DAR equipment to be provided by CORE Justice to the CHCs.

Following several meetings with Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, PC (member of the JSC), Judge Sanjeewa Somaratne (secretary to the JSC) and CHC judge Ahisan Marikar to discuss moving support to the CHCs forward, in August, CORE Justice received formal approval from the JSC to move ahead with support. In mid-August, CORE Justice entered into a formal agreement with Swedish Trading. At the end of Year 3, CORE Justice, Swedish Trading and the CHC electrical engineer met to discuss power supply requirements for the server room and courtrooms. The supplier shared the power requirement report with the CHC electrical engineer on September 29 and the engineer will make arrangements to hand over the site to Swedish Trading the week of October 11.

CORE Justice emphasizes the role of improved case management systems and practices in building a stronger justice system and addressing case delays; court automation is a key element in this process. The use of DAR and VCS will allow CHCs to accommodate remote testimony, maintain video records thereby mitigating case delays.

MODEL COURTS – DEVELOP MODEL PUBLIC INFORMATION MATERIALS FOR JSC AND COURT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE USE. In addition to the objectives stated under KRA 1.2, the model courts initiative is also designed to explore opportunities to promote public information

6 The working committee is chaired by the chief judge of the CHC and includes representatives from the judiciary, BASL and court staff and oversees the procurement of equipment and the development of relevant protocols governing their use.

24 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV materials for the JSC and court management committee use. The documentation and analysis phase planned for the upcoming quarter will include a component on this.

The model courts initiative is cross-cutting and includes activities that contribute to multiple KRAs (1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, and 2.2) as outlined in the approved work plan. As such, CORE Justice is reporting on the initiative under each KRA.

COURT USER SURVEY. In Quarter 2, CORE Justice finalized a baseline court user survey. In Quarter 3, CORE Justice launched the Year 3-Year 4 round of the court user survey by releasing a request for proposals to a list of pre-identified vendors. The survey will collect information from informal interviews with court users on their perceptions regarding court access, availability of information, transparency, and other aspects of their experience with the judicial process. By the end of Quarter 4, CORE Justice had selected a potential contractor with contracts to be finalized early in Year 4.

INDEPENDENT MONITORING OF TRIALS AND PROCEEDINGS FACILITATED (KRA 2.3) ENGAGE CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN COURT OBSERVATION. From September 25 to 27, CORE Justice facilitated a training on court observation geared towards civil society organizations (CSOs). Twenty participants attended the training, representing a diverse range of CSOs working, particularly at the grassroots level, on human rights, gender rights and issues and related issues. These organizations, based in five districts across the country, included the Law & Society Trust, Women's Education & Research Centre (WERC), Centre for Women's Research (CENWOR), Women and Media Collective, Equal Ground, Viluthu and Centre for Equality and Justice.

The training was based on modules developed by CORE Justice’s Court Observation Advisor, in consultation with CORE Justice, and looked at principles of natural justice, introduction to trial observation and elements of court observation programs. The training provided an opportunity for participants to think about a tailored court observation plan for their respective organizations and related challenges. For participant CSOs, being able to ‘customize’ and get feedback on individual organizational court monitoring plans, instead of just working from or learning a generic model, was a key highlight of the CORE Justice facilitated “Training on Court Observation” for civil society training. These organizations work with organizations, September 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka different vulnerable or at risk populations, including women-headed households, persons with disabilities, people living in extreme poverty, and in a range of community contexts, including war-affected districts; therefore, their priorities vary along with their needs for court transparency.

Sessions were delivered by CORE Justice and remotely by the Court Observation Advisor given ongoing travel restrictions preventing his travel to Sri Lanka. Participants welcomed this training as a first on the topic of court observation, and all expressed interest in future technical support to develop organization-specific court observation tools. CORE Justice and the advisor will continue to support the organizations as they develop specific plans for future activities.

25 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV By supporting organizations to independently observe trial and court proceedings, CORE Justice is supporting increased transparency and citizen engagement in the justice system to help counter little or limited public knowledge of court workings in Sri Lanka. This will, in turn, support legal reforms through identifying critical areas for reform or remedy to ensure that the justice system delivers equally to all citizens.

OBJECTIVE 3: GOVERNANCE, QUALIFICATIONS, AND DIVERSITY OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION ENHANCED

BASL GOVERNANCE STRENGTHENED (KRA 3.1) ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR BASL - ICT SUPPORT. BASL’s limited ICT infrastructure has affected BASL’s capacity to meet its strategic goals, manage its finances, staff and programs, and improve services offered to members. The equipment and a fully functional server room provided with CORE Justice support will aid BASL in centralizing its network and managing their information security and will allow BASL to implement protocols to manage its programs, finances, membership services, and expand continuing legal education programs.

Installation of the main server and setting up of computers which began in early March was put on hold during the period of extended curfew. Service installation recommenced when BASL’s office reopened on May 147. The main server configurations and backup server installation and configuration were completed by June 1. By June 8, the BASL finance application had been successfully moved to the new main server and the BASL IT executive started configuring and assigning computers to users with users to be managed by the centralized server. By mid-August set-up and relevant configurations were complete with the server room now fully functional. On August 26, CORE Justice met with the BASL Assistant Secretary and IT Executive to discuss CORE Justice’s proposed IT policy document which will be used to guide BASL’s staff in using the equipment. A response from BASL was pending at the end of Year 3.

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR BASL – HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT. CORE Justice faced significant challenges from BASL leadership in implementing human resources and administration recommendations.

- On August 10, CORE Justice met with the secretary and assistant secretary of the BASL to discuss progress and ways forward with CORE Justice support towards improving human resources (HR) functions at the BASL. The meeting also discussed improvements to HR functions as well as other recommendations that stemmed from CORE Justice’s organization development assessment of the BASL. As a key takeaway, the assistant secretary was appointed as BASL’s key point of contact at the BASL for HR-related support with further discussions pending on the introduction of a non- disclosure agreement and code of conduct for BASL employees. The goal for these documents is to add elements of professionalism to the employment structure and membership management of BASL. BASL has requested CORE Justice support in drafting these documents to meet an existing

7 On May 11, public and private sectors in the Colombo and Gampaha districts were allowed to resume operations and residents allowed some movement under strict regulations despite continuing curfew in these two districts.

26 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV gap. The non-disclosure agreement and employee code of conduct would form part of the overall HR policy framework to be set up with CORE Justice support. - On September 11, CORE Justice met with the assistant secretary to the BASL to discuss progress and ways forward regarding the draft code of conduct and non-disclosure agreement that CORE Justice drafted which would be introduced to BASL employees. BASL asked CORE Justice to support the formulation of standard HR templates such as job vacancy announcements, and performance evaluation processes as well as to introduce a streamlined induction process for BASL staff. The BASL also requested support on a job vacancy post to recruit a staff member to provide digital support. - In mid-September, CORE Justice submitted a revised draft code of conduct to the BASL for consideration. Adopting a code of conduct is one step forward in supporting the BASL to deliver quality services to the members as a professional membership organization. The assistant secretary was due to present the proposed code of conduct and non-disclosure agreement to the BASL Management Committee the week of September 14 – however, an update in this regard was pending at the end of the quarter.

KNOWLEDGE, PERFORMANCE, AND INTEGRITY OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION, INCLUDING LEGAL AID LAWYERS ENHANCED (KRA 3.2) CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION (CLE) FOR BASL. In the first two years of implementation, CORE Justice oversaw two reviews of BASL’s CLE program, drawing on expertise from international experts. These reviews included recommendations toward establishing mandatory CLE education and standardizing the CLE curriculum. Supporting the standardization of the CLE program was also a key part of the MOU signed between CORE Justice and the BASL in August 2019. A strong CLE program will help legal professionals expand their knowledge and better equip them to handle evolving legal topics and developments.

On July 16, CORE Justice met with BASL Secretary to discuss the resumption of activities listed in the memorandum of understanding previously signed between CORE Justice and the BASL. This will include work toward standardizing CLE programs and recommencing regional CLE events.

Following a meeting with the Secretary of the BASL on August 17, CORE Justice supported the BASL Provincial Law Conference (PLC) for the Eastern Province. The PLC took place on September 19 and 20 in Pasikuda. Over 70 lawyers attended this conference, representing the Muttur, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Vaalaichchenai, Pottuvil, Samanthurai and Kantale regional bars. CORE Justice worked with the BASL to include sessions on legal ethics and professional rules in the conference agenda, delivered by the president and secretary of the BASL. Supporting PLCs reiterates CORE Justice’s commitment to expand the reach of continuing legal education offerings to benefit lawyers based outside of Colombo and help benefit regional bar associations.

SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ORGANIZATIONAL AND TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR LAC. CORE Justice and LAC scheduled ten trainings during Quarter 2 (January-March 2020). Of these planned trainings, CORE Justice was able to conduct only three due to delays in government fund disbursement which affected LAC and later, due to growing concerns over the increasing spread of COVID-19. In April, with increasing restrictions on movement and continuing curfew, CORE Justice and LAC agreed to shift trainings planned for April and May to an online learning platform in an effort to minimize disruptions to the staff training. It was also an opportunity to explore new ways of learning for LAC with staff now able to join trainings regardless of their locations, thereby expanding the range of learning and capacity building opportunities available

27 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV to LAC staff based at centers around the country. Over the course of May, CORE Justice supported two rounds of online trainings – offering six webinars benefitting 115 LAC legal staff.

LAC welcomed these webinars as a learning opportunity to ensure that its staff are equipped to deal with, at the time, potential influx of clients seeking advice and access to redress mechanisms. By supporting opportunities for LAC lawyers to strengthen skills to deal with the increased demands made of the legal profession in the current context, CORE Justice is strengthening the services offered by the mandated legal aid provider.

In other organizational development support to LAC, CORE Justice met with the chairman of LAC on July 29 to discuss proposed support towards developing the ICT infrastructure at LAC. CORE Justice presented improvements to the infrastructure and a list of equipment to procure. CORE Justice and LAC agreed that CORE Justice would support establishment of official organizational email accounts and infrastructure, a centralized telephone and voicemail system, an upgraded fingerprint solution for data management and security purposes, and a centralized system to manage the organizations applications including finance, fingerprint, payment, and data storage software. These proposed developments to the ICT infrastructure at LAC will help streamline internal/external communication functions, reduce related costs, and manage staff and reflect ways to implement recommendations in the comprehensive communications assessment of LAC carried out with CORE Justice support.

The project also laid out LAC’s responsibilities for facilitating and maintaining the upgrade and took the opportunity to clarify and confirm the organization’s expectations around outcomes. In line with CORE Justice’s Year 3 workplan, the procurement and installation process started the week of August 4 and will be completed within six months of that date. At the end of September, CORE Justice shared these plans with USAID.

CAREER GUIDANCE PROGRAM FOR APPRENTICES AND JUNIOR LAWYERS. In July 2020, CORE Justice, in collaboration with CLS, hosted a four-part career guidance program for apprentices and law students. While there are legal education programs for apprentices, these emphasize legal skills and theoretical elements of the law with little support on the practical elements of charting a career after formally entering the legal profession. The CORE Justice-CLS career guidance program addresses this gap, moving beyond legal skills, focusing on sharing professional experiences of attorneys-at-law (spanning four career pathways: the unofficial bar, the private sector, the state sector, and humanitarian/not-for-profit/academic work), especially on how to prepare for careers in various industries/sectors, skills and knowledge required, advice on challenges and how to overcome them.

28 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV - On July 7, the program focused on “Navigating Practice in the Unofficial Bar 8 ”. The panel represented the roles of counsel, instructing attorney and notary public and included lawyers in active practice as well as in consultant roles. A total of 62 apprentices and law students participated – Screengrab: CORE Justice-Colombo Law Society Career Guidance Session on “Navigating Practice in the Unofficial Bar”, July 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka the majority of the participants were women (44). - The July 14 session, “Careers in the Academic, Not-for-Profit and Humanitarian Sector” featured panelists representing various career paths within this sector, including work with local and international non-governmental organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, as well as academia. A total of 65 lawyers, apprentices and law students participated, including 51 women. Participants greatly appreciated the dynamic “This is to let you know that today's session was nature of the discussion. Panelists shared their amazing. I signed up for this session although I personal journeys and choices and emphasized didn't necessarily think I would be interested in this the importance of perseverance and passion in area. This session has truly relieved me as a fresh working towards a career. They also provided undergraduate. I would like to thank the panel for practical advice on looking out for existing such a relaxed, practical and realistic approach to opportunities and how to deal with challenges, today's session. Truly inspirational!” – Participant, especially those faced by women lawyers in Career guidance session on “Careers in the entering what are seen as male dominated fields Academic, Not-for-Profit and Humanitarian Sector” of law. - On July 9, the program focused on “Careers in the Private Sector”. The session looked at the variety of career options available in the private sector with specific reference to law firms and the banking and corporate sectors. A total of 67 lawyers, apprentices and law students participated. - The panel for the session on “Careers in the State Sector”, held on July 17, was attended by 50 lawyers, apprentices, and law students. Speakers discussed the importance of public officers, their roles and keeping up with the law, and directed participants to Department websites to keep abreast of opportunities to join the public sector.

Through initiatives such as this career guidance programing, CORE Justice is supporting apprentices and law students to make informed career choices, thereby, creating a stronger and more professional

8 The unofficial bar in Sri Lankan courts refer to lawyers engaged in private legal practice, as opposed to the official bar, which is made up of lawyers working for the AGD.

29 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV cadre of attorneys-at-law across a wider range of industries and sectors beyond active practice and litigation.

ETHICS GUIDE FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS. In August, CLS requested CORE Justice’s support and technical assistance towards the publication of a booklet outlining “Ethics for Young Professionals” geared toward apprentices on the verge of taking oaths as attorneys-at-law. The project is currently working with CLS to frame content to meet the requirements of young attorneys just entering into the legal profession.

CLS AND CLE. In Quarter 4, CORE Justice engaged the CLS to explore longer term support on CLE. CORE Justice collaborated with the CLS on several rounds of webinars earlier in the year which expanded online CLE opportunities for lawyers and law students.

On August 21, CORE Justice met with the president and other representatives from the CLS to discuss collaboration in providing CLE for Sri Lankan attorneys, including a draft framework for a CORE Justice-CLS CLE program prepared by CORE Justice. CLS agreed in principle to move forward with a more comprehensive plan for collaboration beyond providing CLE online through webinars.

A follow-up meeting took place on September 17, with CORE Justice and representatives from the CLS meeting to discuss next steps in developing a CLE policy for the society. The proposed policy would support the CLS in providing standardized and sustainable trainings for legal professionals. A policy development workshop is proposed to be held on October 3. At that planning session, CORE Justice and the CLS will formulate a work plan for both organizational development of CLS and specific training events.

REMOTE LEARNING CLE PROGRAMS FOR LAWYERS. In Quarter 3, efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 severely limited day-to-day life in Sri Lanka, including opportunities for legal professionals to build their capacity to address legal problems and justice needs. While remote learning was increasingly used by businesses and educational institutions there were few, if any, online legal education opportunities for Sri Lankan lawyers. The need for lawyers and the judiciary to continue to build their capacity and expand their knowledge, especially in uncertain times, was of great importance amid an increase in new legal issues and challenges arising from a COVID-19 challenged context.

CORE Justice moved CLE opportunities online, shifting to remote delivery of training and capacity development opportunities for both lawyers and law students, marking a paradigm shift in delivering more accessible CLE opportunities for the legal profession in Sri Lanka.

The following series of webinars or online trainings were offered in collaboration with key stakeholders. - Webinar Series – CLS, Round 1 (April 27-30, 2020) covering “Disability Laws and Acts in Sri Lanka - Rights of persons with Disabilities”, “Environmental Legislation and Practices in Sri Lanka – Public Interest Litigation”, “Privacy and Data Protection – Sri Lanka & Beyond” and “Admiralty Law”. - Webinar Series – CLS, Round 2 (May 14-20, 2020) covering “The Art of Cross Examination”, “Bail”, “Laws Relating to Gender-based Violence”, “Human Trafficking” and “Critical Thinking for Lawyers”. - Webinar Series – CLS, Trainings on Research Methodology (June 10 and 24, 2020) - Webinar Series – CLS, Forensic Science (June 7-14, 2020) covering “Documentation and Crime Scenes”, “Fingerprint Identification and AFIS” and “Shooting Reconstruction”.

The following key takeaways from these initial online CLE opportunities helped shaped CORE Justice interventions in Quarter 4 and into Year 4:

30 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV - CORE Justice provided lawyers with opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills and continue their legal education when traditional learning spaces were limited or inaccessible. - The webinars also opened up CLE opportunities for participants outside of Colombo and created space for law students and junior lawyers starting out in their careers to learn more about highly specialized areas of law, with the potential to shape career choices within the legal profession. - Webinars that focused on trial skills were critical to providing lawyers, particularly law students and lawyers at the start of their careers, with opportunities to develop skills to deal with the increased demands made of the legal profession in the current context. - Multiple series of webinars focusing on a range of subjects translated to diversity in the overall audience with participants representing various sectors and industries and not just legal professionals in active practice. - CORE Justice facilitated space for collaboration between different justice system actors to offer CLE programs to a broad audience. Speakers from LAC were included in the webinar series organized in collaboration with CLS, allowing for key issues for LAC practitioners to be discussed by an audience comprising a cross-section of legal professionals. Further, this allowed one speaker from LAC, who had previously benefitted from a CORE Justice training-of-trainers program, to use her skills for the benefit of an audience beyond LAC staff.

Webinars were initially organized in response to restrictions on movement prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As normalcy was gradually restored towards the end of May heading into Quarter 4, CORE Justice adopted webinars as a proactive mode of delivery of quality and reliable CLE programs, helping to make learning opportunities more readily available and accessible. This initiative was of particular importance to organizations such as like LAC whose legal staff are based at legal aid centers spread across the country. In addition to the webinar series on ODR organized with the CCC- ICLP ADR Centre, CORE Justice collaborated with the CLS and the SLLCC on the following series:

Webinar Series – SLLCC (July 2-30, 2020) In July, CORE Justice, in collaboration with the SLLCC, organized a webinar series on current legal topics/issues, including, - On July 2, the webinar titled, “The Way Forward in Finance Leasing Business in View of The Current Socio-Economic Climate”, examined the legal position relating to finance leasing, hire purchase and other forms of vehicle financing mechanisms available in the market with emphasis on the rights and obligations of the stakeholders. Fifty-seven lawyers and law students participated in this online discussion. With the negative impact of COVID-19 on Sri Lanka’s economy and people’s livelihoods, leasing, and stakeholder-friendly protective measures - especially for those unable to make payments - have increasingly become a popular discussion topic. Participants, therefore, appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the legal aspects of the subject, particularly from the perspective of rights and obligations laid out in the law. - On July 16, the webinar on “’Mens Rea’ in Criminal Law – A Practical Approach” addressed ‘mens rea’ or the mental element (a key concept in criminal jurisprudence), from theoretical and practical perspectives. Eighty-five lawyers, apprentices and law students participated in the discussion, which focused on different principles, key tests to be considered and the conceptual development of ‘mens rea’. - The July 23 webinar focused on “Immigration Laws and New Developments”. This session looked at the salient features of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act No. 20 of 1948 (as amended), case law, criminal aspects of immigration law and the litigation process and information on the Department of Immigration and Emigration. With COVID-19 leading to restrictions on travel into and out of Sri Lanka, many people faced immigration issues, particularly with visas expiring in some instances and grey areas in the law. This session helped participants refresh their knowledge on immigration law and seek clarification from the speaker on contentious issues to be better able to

31 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV advise existing or potential clients. Forty-six lawyers, apprentices, and law students from across the country participated in this online discussion. - On July 30, the online discussion introduced “the anti-money laundering regime in Sri Lanka” was designed to provide an overview of the legislative provisions relating to money laundering and administrative framework for early detection and prevention of money laundering. The discussion also addressed the Financial Transaction Reporting Act 2006 and its salient features including the application of the Act, penalties under the Act and statutory obligations. An interactive question and answer session followed. Forty-one lawyers and law students participated in this discussion.

Webinar Series – CLS, “Forensic, Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes” (September 10-30, 2020)

- In September, CORE Justice, in collaboration with the CLS organized a webinar series on Forensics, Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes organized by CORE Justice, as a follow up to a well-received series on forensic science. The September 10 webinar focused on providing knowledge about “Biological Evidence” and its use in criminal investigations and covered topics such as the value of biological evidence, types of biological evidence, and transportation, storage, and submission of biological evidence to the forensic laboratory. A highlight of the webinar was the presenter’s use of real-case scenarios to illustrate practical information and questions and answer components to promote an interactive discussion. Screengrab: CORE Justice-CLS Webinar, “Biological Evidence”, September 2020. Photo: USAID’s CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka - A webinar on “Digital Evidence” took place on September 23 and focused on the connection between forensic evidence and digital evidence, the value of digital evidence, types of digital evidence, transportation, storage and submission of digital evidence to the forensic laboratory, and common programs to obtain digital evidence - On September 30, the “Cyber Crime” webinar looked at what is cybercrime, types of hackers and classification of cyber-criminals, methods to prevent cyber-crimes, Internet of Things and how they are exploited by cyber criminals using a mix of theory and practical examples to promote an interactive discussion.

CAREER PATHWAYS AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP ROLES FOR WOMEN EXPANDED (KRA 3.3) TRAINING FOR TRAINERS (TOT) ON ADULT LEARNING: In Quarter 3, CORE Justice started work on a training module on effective trial skills. The project plans to use the module to train junior lawyers in five districts working on gender-based violence and human rights cases. As a preparatory step, CORE Justice organized a training of trainers (TOT) activity, on May 2 and 3, for potential trainers who will support the delivery of the training. TOT Specialist delivered the TOT online due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions on travel. The TOT focused on strengthening the training skills of participants, including adult learning techniques while also building specific skills required in handling gender-based violence and human rights cases. Guidance on developing training materials for individual training components was also shared.

Due to uncertainties caused by the pandemic and the impact of the prolonged closure of courts over the lockdown period on court schedules and overall legal practice, some of the potential trainers are

32 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV no longer able to support the proposed training. CORE Justice is now in the process of reformulating the training with the effect of widening the trainer pool. While the training was initially to focus on gender-based violence and human rights cases, the project proposes to expand focus to include civil, criminal law and public law as areas of training module development. CORE Justice will also explore the possibility of collaborating with CLS to adopt the modules developed for the training, as they would be able to continue the training, even after the CORE Justice project comes to an end.

SYMPOSIUM ON WOMEN AND THE LAW. On September 24, CORE Justice hosted a symposium on “Women and The Law”, bringing together a high-profile panel of eminent academics, researchers, and legal professionals to discuss the law and roles of women in the legal profession through a gender lens. The keynote address looked at the gender equality legal framework and importance of a clear understanding of substantial equality..

Ninety-eight “While I really enjoyed listening to the panelists, lawyers and law what I did realize was many things are discussed in students "theory". The practical realities need to be participated in addressed more and taboo topics like sexual this event which harassment of women lawyers in their places of aimed to work, the delays in the criminal justice system that address the lack CORE Justice facilitated Symposium on “Women leads to the imposition of non-custodial sentences and the Law”, September 2020. Photo: USAID’s or limited etc. Stigma and stereotypes can only be destroyed CORE Justice Program/Sri Lanka understanding through desensitization, that certainly involves among legal professionals and practitioners of the discussing openly topics that greater society might socio-cultural dynamics of gender discrimination and find obscene or uncomfortable.”- Participant violence. The audience included representatives from three key CORE Justice counterparts – regional bars of the BASL, CLS and the CCC-ICLP ADR Centre.

The symposium was a unique opportunity for lawyers and law students to learn more about findings from gender related research carried out by selected individuals/organizations, both general and with specific reference to the legal profession, and to look at the participation of women in legal practice and the need for the legal profession to be more inclusive, accommodative and supportive to ensure that junior lawyers, especially women, are able to thrive in the profession. Participants highly appreciated the networking opportunity provided by CORE Justice including being able to connect with established women lawyers, researchers and civil society actors engaged in research, academia, activism, and litigation.

Through initiatives like this symposium, CORE Justice is creating space for discussion, engagement, networking, critical thinking, and activism on gender within the legal profession to help transform the local legal landscape to be more gender inclusive and sensitive.

DEVELOP CAREER PLANNING RESOURCES FOR LAW STUDENTS. This quarter, CORE Justice completed the draft of a student handbook designed to supplement the exposure, information and knowledge gathered by participants attending proposed study tours for female law students. It is expected that study tour participants will read through and be familiar with the content of the handbook prior to beginning scheduled visits, helping them to effectively use the information in the handbook to broaden their knowledge, networks, and understanding of the diverse opportunities currently available. A draft book is currently under review.

33 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV IN-COUNTRY STUDY TOUR FOR WOMEN LAW STUDENTS. While a study tour for a third batch of female law students was proposed for March/April 2020, this had to be postponed due to COVID-19. At the end and the Quarter 4, CORE Justice had completed preparation for a study tour to be held in early October with the participation of students from four universities.

3. PROJECT STAFF HIRING Throughout the year, CORE Justice added staff positions and supplemented the team with short-term technical expertise. In the beginning of the year, the project added the position of Deputy Chief of Party – Operations and Programs and filled the Program Manager position. In addition, the project added two technical officers, a technical specialist, two program officers, a coordinator dedicated to the project’s activities with the AGD, and a human resources and administration specialist to work on organizational development with the BASL. The project’s monitoring and evaluation specialist and procurement and logistics specialist left the project in April 2020 and both were replaced, in Quarter 3 and 4 respectively, with little interruption to implementation or data collection.

4. IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES

INTERSECTIONAL CHALLENGES – PUBLIC HEALTH. The COVID-19 pandemic and the stringent measures adopted in Sri Lanka during the March to June period had significant impacts on program activities during the quarter, some of which continued into Quarter 4. While CORE Justice generally succeeded in working with counterparts such as the AGD and SLJI to get planned activities back on track, in other instances activities had to be reframed due to continuing contextual challenges. For example, the prolonged closure of the airport since March continues to prevent CORE Justice from bringing in any international experts. While some short-term consultants were able to provide remote support, some planned interventions required in-country support (e.g., the proposed series of trainings for court registrars had to be rescheduled).

COUNTERPART INTERNAL BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES. In supporting the DAR and VCS equipment for the CHCs and ensuring that necessary protocols were in place, CORE Justice faced delays in implementation due to a lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities, oversight and decision-making processes between the MOJ and the JSC. This highlighted the need for continuous engagement with all counterparts involved not only to resolve issues but to for greater clarity and transparency in roles and responsibilities.

DELAYED GOVERNMENT BUDGET PROCESS. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented timely elections after the president dissolved parliament on March 2, six months before its term ended. With the interim budget (passed in October 2019 for the January-April 2020 period) ending on April 30, the government resorted to drawing on the Consolidated Fund to meet the country’s expenses. CORE Justice counterpart LAC reported financial restrictions because the caretaker government in place at the time could not pass another budget and address spending.

5. MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING UPDATE CORE Justice’s interventions are monitored by assessing progress of program outcomes using a defined set of indicators. As the pandemic started to affect project activities in Quarter 2 and had significant impact in Quarters 3 and 4, the project faced challenges in achieving its Year 3 targets and in implementing its activities as originally planned. However, CORE Justice quickly pivoted and delivered many activities remotely including new programming to meet a previously unidentified need in Quarter 3 and Quarter 4. Examples include:

34 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV - Organized and facilitated CLE webinars with counterparts as an alternative for in-person training. These were the first such CLE opportunities of their kind and reached a broader audience than if the events had been held in person. - Engaged international experts remotely to implement the planned technical assistance. - Implemented many standard project operating processes/steps to ensure the progress of technical assistance activities (e.g. procurement processes, planning processes, desk work, file reviews). In line with CORE Justice’s contractual requirements and taking into account the changed context as a result of the pandemic, the project submitted a revised AMELP to USAID which included changed indicators and changed targets for Year 3 and the life of the project. The revisions were under review by USAID through the end of Year 3 and approved at the close of the year in time for them to be included in the Year 3 annual report as detailed in the Performance Management Plan (PMP) in Annex A. The PMP table details the complete MEL indicators for Year 3 with a narrative description of indicators set out below.

GOAL: A MORE MODERN JUSTICE SYSTEM CAPABLE OF DELIVERING QUALITY JUSTICE SERVICES THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL MEMBERS OF SRI LANKAN SOCIETY.

INDICATOR G1: NUMBER OF LAWS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES, AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES ADOPTED AND IMPLEMENTED This indicator counts the number of justice sector laws, strategies, standard operating procedures, strategic plans, documented procedures, or formal policies that are amended or otherwise adopted as a result of project assistance and/or advocacy. The project targeted five laws, policies, strategies, or standard operating procedures to be adopted for Year 3. During the course of the year, CORE Justice supported its counterparts to adopt/implement the following initiatives.

1. e-diary and file management system for AGD – Adopting

2. Business Plan for CCC-ICLP ADR Centre - Adopting

3. Marketing/Branding Plan for CCC-ICLP ADR Centre - Adopting

4. Policy framework governing the use, management, and oversight of the digital audio recording and video conferencing equipment (JSC) – Adopting and Implementation

5. AGD Training & Development Center - Adopting

The progress of the above interventions was delayed due to the lockdown during Q2 and Q3 and the subsequent time taken to return to normalcy by counterparts. Please see the table below for additional information.

35 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Interventions Completed in Year 3 Year/ Type of Counterpart No. Activity Status Quarter Intervention Institution 1 Y3Q1 Adopted concept on separate Strategy AGD MOU was signed between unit for Training and AGD and CORE Justice and Development of AGD staff it will be adopted by AGD soon after the construction is Note: In Y3 Q1, the said completed. As at end of Year intervention was counted for 3, TDC Construction is Indicator G1 as adopted. ongoing. However, on discussion with USAID, it will be counted only after the TDC is officially launched by AGD. As such, results reported for Indicator G1 in Y3Q1 are revised in this report.

2 Y3Q1 Adopted concept on e-diary Strategy AGD MOU was signed between and file management system AGD and CORE Justice. In for AGD Y3Q4, user testing and training for e-Diary system Note: In Y3 Q1, the said was conducted (September intervention was counted for 2020). Currently, the data Indicator G1 as adopted. entry is ongoing and is However, on discussion with planned to be completed by USAID, it will be counted only November 2020. Thereafter, after the TDC is officially the e-Diary system will be launched by AGD. As such, launched by AGD and results reported for Indicator G1 adopted for use. in Y3Q1 are revised in this report.

3 Y3Q1 BASL - ICT infrastructure Strategy BASL CORE Justice provided support under organization support to BASL to upgrade development its ICT Infrastructure and develop the ICT strategy for Note: In Y3 Q1, the said BASL. Since it is part of the intervention was counted for recommendations in BASL

Indicator G1 as adopted. organization development However, on discussion with plan developed by CORE J, in

USAID, it will be counted only Y3Q1 this was reported as after the TDC is officially results for Indicator G1(as launched by AGD. As such, adopted) results reported for Indicator G1 in Y3Q1 are revised in this report.

36 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Interventions Completed in Year 3 Year/ Type of Counterpart No. Activity Status Quarter Intervention Institution 4 Y3Q3 Judicial Service Commission – Policy JSC Policy Adopted. It was Supporting the adoption of reported for Indicator G1 as policy framework governing adopted in Y3Q3. the use, management, and oversight of the digital audio As at end of Year 3, recording and video procurement of Audio conferencing equipment recording and video conferencing system is ongoing.

Interventions in Progress (As at end of Year 3) No. Year/ Type of Counterpart Proposed Intervention Status Quarter Intervention Institution 1 Progress Adopting of CCC-ICLP Strategy CCC-ICLP ADR In progress. in Y3Q4 ADR Centre Business Plan Center In Y3Q4, the plans were submitted to ICLP board for approval and adoption. CORE Justice is awaiting approval from ICLP board.

2 Progress Adopting of CCC-ICLP Strategy CCC-ICLP ADR In progress. in Y3Q4 ADR Centre Center Marketing/Branding Plan In Y3Q4, the plans were submitted to ICLP board for approval and adoption. CORE Justice is awaiting approval from ICLP board.

INDICATOR G2: PERCENTAGE OF SATISFIED COURT USERS This indicator tracks changes to the percentage of satisfied court users in court services throughout the life of the project. In Year 3 Quarter 2, the project submitted the findings from the Year 2 court user survey, commissioned by CORE Justice and developed by the Marga Institute. The findings formed a baseline for Year 2 which CORE Justice reported in the Y3Q3 quarterly report. The project plans to launch a follow-on survey in Year 4.

Through the Year 2 Court survey, data was collected by ‘type of court user’, using a convenience sampling approach as opposed to a non-probability sampling approach; therefore, the information is not representative of the overall population of court users and generally includes only a limited

37 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV number of respondents. However, the information is useful to understand how court users interact with the courts and in what areas of that interaction CORE Justice’s activities may have an impact.

The baseline showed an overall satisfaction among each type of court user.

Public Lawyers Police Baseline – Y2 65% 69% 79%

INDICATOR G3: NUMBER OF JUDICIAL SECTOR PERSONALS TRAINED WITH US GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE This indicator tracks the trained/benefitted number of judicial personnel - including judges, magistrates, prosecutors, , inspectors, and court staff - with US Government assistance. The indicator targeted 1,500 judicial sector personnel for Year 3. Notably, CORE Justice took the opportunity with the Year 3 AMELP revisions to clarify sector classifications and to confirm which court staff personnel should be included under the court staff sub-category. Court staff are a fundamental group of beneficiaries as they directly influence the efficiency and efficacy of justice sector functions and are often the face of the system for court users including the general public.

In Year 3, CORE Justice trained a total of 2154 judicial sector personnel, 143% of the Year 3 target. The Judicial sector personnel were from the AGD (state counsels, law officers), JSC (12 judges, 233 court staff and 3 court registrars), BASL (484 lawyers and BASL staff), and LAC (266 legal officers)

Among these 2154 trained judicial personnel, 789 were males and 1365 were females, including 571 youths (within the age category of 29 and below). Please see the table below for more information.

Age 29 Age 30 Y/Q Date Activity &

Male & above Total

Female below Counterpart JSC, 251 65 186 33 218 1-Oct-19 Y3 CORE Justice Events in Y3 AGD, to 31- Q1 Q1 BASL, Dec-19 LAC 1-Jan20 – 306 112 194 35 271 Y3 31-Mar- CORE Justice Events in Y3 BASL. Q2 20 Q2 LAC 1-Apr20 970 355 615 339 631 Y3 CORE Justice Events in Y3 LAC, to 30-Jun- Q3 Q3 CLS 20 Y3 Q4 – List of CORE Justice Events Y3 2-Jul-20 SLLCC – “The Way SLLCC 38 19 19 10 28 Q4 Forward in Finance Leasing Business in View of The Current Socio-Economic Climate” Y3 7-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program CLS 36 13 23 20 16 Q4 for Apprentices and Junior Lawyers with Colombo Law Society – ‘’Navigating the Unofficial Bar’’

38 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV

Age 29 Age 30 Y/Q Date Activity & Male

Total & above

Female below Counterpart Y3 9-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program CLS 39 10 29 24 15 Q4 for Apprentices and Junior Lawyers with Colombo Law Society – Careers in the Private Sector Y3 14-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program CLS 21 5 16 11 10 Q4 for Apprentices and Junior Lawyers with Colombo Law Society – Careers in the Academic, Not-for- Profit and Humanitarian Sector Y3 16-Jul-20 Webinar Series on Current SLLCC 40 22 18 13 27 Q4 Legal Topics/Issues in collaboration with the SLLCC - Webinar titled “Mens Rea in Criminal Law – A Practical Approach” Y3 17-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program CLS 21 7 14 11 10 Q4 for Apprentices and Junior Lawyers with Colombo Law Society – Careers in the State Sector Y3 23-Jul-20 Webinar Series on Current SLLCC 31 17 14 6 25 Q4 Legal Topics/Issues in collaboration with the SLLCC - Webinar titled, “Immigration Law and New Developments” Y3 24-25 Jul, Training on Civil Trial AGD 92 29 63 23 69 Q4 2020 advocacy skills for the civil division of the AGD Y3 30-Jul-20 Webinar Series on Current SLLCC 22 10 12 5 17 Q4 Legal Topics/Issues in collaboration with the SLLCC - Online discussion titled, “An Introduction to Anti-Money Laundering Regime in Sri Lanka” Y3 13-Aug- Webinar Series on Online CCC- 11 4 7 4 7 Q4 20 Dispute Resolution (ODR) ICLP - Introduction to Online ADR Dispute Resolution (ODR) Centre Y3 27-Aug- Webinar Series on Online CCC- 7 4 3 0 7 Q4 20 Dispute Resolution (ODR) ICLP - focused on “How ADR Mediators and Arbitrators Centre can Move Their Practice Online” Y3 29-30 Training on “Customer JSC 48 7 41 1 47 Q4 Aug, Care and Service 2020 Excellence for Court Staff”

39 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV

Age 29 Age 30 Y/Q Date Activity & Male

Total & above

Female below Counterpart – Kurunegala district (Two- day training) Y3 3-Sep-20 Webinar Series on Online CCC- 10 6 4 0 10 Q4 Dispute Resolution (ODR) ICLP - “Online Dispute ADR Resolution: Ethics and Best Centre Practices” Y3 5-6 Sept, Training on “Customer JSC 50 10 40 2 48 Q4 2020 Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff” – Galle district (Two-day training) Y3 10-Sep- Webinar Series on CLS 19 10 9 7 12 Q4 20 Forensics, Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes – Session on “Biological Evidence” by Mr. Erdem Kara (1st Webinar) - Co- hosted by CORE Justice and CLS Y3 19-20 BASL Eastern Province Law BASL 73 62 11 16 57 Q4 Sept, Conference 2020 Y3 21-Sep- User Testing and Training AGD 10 5 5 0 10 Q4 20 on newly developed e-diary and file management software for the AGD – AGD Lawyers Y3 23-Sep- Webinar Series on CLS 6 2 4 1 5 Q4 20 Forensics, Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes – Session on “Digital Evidence” by Mr. Erdem Kara (2nd Webinar) Y3 26-27 Training on “Customer JSC 39 9 30 3 36 Q4 Sept, Care and Service 2020 Excellence for Court Staff” – Puttalam district (Two- day training) Y3 30-Sep- Webinar Series on CLS 14 6 8 5 9 Q4 20 Forensics, Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes – Session on “Cyber Crimes” by Mr. Erdem Kara (3rd and Final webinar) Total – Y3 Q4 627 257 370 164 463 Total for Year 3 2154 789 1365 571 1583

OBJECTIVE 1: EFFECTIVENESS OF CORE JUSTICE INSTITUTIONS, PROCESSES, AND ACTORS STRENGTHENED

40 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV INDICATOR: 1.1. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF COURTS This is an impact level indicator that measures change to the institutional capacity of selected institutions assisted by US Government. “Institutional Capacity” refers to the systems, processes, and resources which may be reliant on skills and abilities that courts need for justice administration and delivery of justice services. “Courts” refers to all courts in Sri Lanka including but not limited to Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, District Court, Magistrate Court.

This indicator relies on collecting available data on existing practices related to systems, processes, and resource used by courts. The purpose of this indicator is to report/measure institutional change in select areas of judicial excellence: court planning and policies, court resources (human, material, and financial), court proceedings and processes, accessible court services, and public trust and confidence.

CORE Justice could not progress with this indicator due to a lack of access to the targeted lower courts during Year 2. The baseline values and targets were not established during Year 2. However, in Year 3, CORE Justice has obtained approval from JSC to move ahead with the Model Courts initiative and as such, the data for this indicator may be reported in Year 4 for the courts selected the model courts pilot phase.

INDICATOR: 1.2.1. NUMBER OF JUSTICE SECTOR PERSONNEL TRAINED IN NEW AUTOMATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS. This indicator tracks the number of individuals trained, either directly by CORE Justice, or by justice sector institutions based on assistance provided by the program, in the area of new automation and case management systems. In Year 3, the indicator did not target to train justice sectors personnel on case management and automation. Hence, justice sector personnel were not trained in Year 3. However, CORE Justice progressed throughout Year 3 on developing and refining training for court registrars on case and court management and is working with the JSC to see this training curriculum adopted by the counterpart. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, CORE Justice is working remotely with Court and Case Management Advisors Judge Kip Leonard and Mr. Phillip Knox to develop and deliver a series of trainings on case and court management for court registrars. If Judge Leonard and Mr. Knox are permitted to travel, the series will begin in Quarter 1 of Year 4 and will target nearly 220 court registrars through five trainings held throughout the country.

INDICATOR: 1.2.2 NUMBER OF US GOVERNMENT-ASSISTED COURTS WITH IMPROVED CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (DR 1.5- 1) This indicator tracks courts with improved case management systems as a result of US Government assistance. Selection of target courts and activities related to improved case management system for courts did not materialize during Year 1 and 2 of the project. However, in Year 3, CORE Justice obtained approval from the JSC to commence the pilot phase of Model Courts initiative. Under this pilot phase, CORE Justice will work with seven courts to improve their case management systems in Year 4:

1. Nugegoda Magistrate court

2. Nugegoda District court

3. Colombo High court

4. Commercial High courts (2 Courts)

41 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV 5. Labor Tribunals (2 Courts)

INDICATOR: 1.3.1 CASE PROCESSING TIMES IN US GOVERNMENT ASSISTED COURTS This indicator tracks the changes in case processing time by the number of calendar days that pass from the initial filing of a case to the date of final judgment in court. Baseline values and targets have not yet been established due to a lack of access to courts and case records. CORE Justice obtained approval from JSC to pilot the model courts initiative in Year 3 and the project will begin reporting on this indicator in Year 4.

INDICATOR: 1.4.1 NUMBER OF NEW CURRICULA AND MODULES DEVELOPED BY TRAINING INSTITUTIONS WITH USAID SUPPORT This indicator tracks the number of curricula or modules developed to improve the skills and capacity of justice sector personnel, including judges and court staff. The Year 3 annual target is five (curricula/modules) and CORE Justice has achieved ___ modules. Please see table below for more information:

Year Counterpart Proposed Intervention Type Status Quarter Institution Y3 Q1 Adult Learning Skills TOT for Module LAC Developed and LAC staff Adopted

Y3 Q2 Legal Aid Staff training on Legal Module LAC Developed and and Management skills – Adopted Course 01 Y3 Q2 Legal Aid Staff training on Legal Module LAC Developed and and Management skills – Adopted Course 02 Y3 Q2 Legal Aid Staff training on Legal Module LAC Developed and and Management skills – Adopted Course 03 Y3 Q4 Training Modules on Court Module CSOs Developed Observation Techniques - For Civil Society Organizations

Curricula/Modules Development in progress (Year3 activities progressing to Year 4)

Proposed Counterpart Status as at 30th Intervention Type Institution September 2020

Training on Appellate Module (Civil), AGD In Progress Advocacy skills for State Counsel (Civil/Criminal) Module (Criminal) STTA Consultants are reviewing the background materials to develop the training modules

42 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Supporting Professional Module AGD In Progress. Development for State Attorneys Planning stage

Training outline submitted to AGD for approval. Approval pending from AGD

Supporting the AGD’S Module AGD In Progress Child Protection Unit Training outline submitted to AGD’s review and approval. Module will be developed based on the training outline.

Training for the Module (One Module AGD In Progress Prosecutors in the will be developed by Criminal Division compiling the training Planning initiated materials) Awaiting approval from AG for the appointed AGD working group

Redesign the curriculum Curriculum (5 Modules) AGD In Progress and training materials of + 3 Modules the induction program Developed lesson plans and training materials for two modules and submitted for AGD’s review.

Preparing Instructors’ guide on developing lesson plans and training materials

Supporting Curriculum SLJI In Progress Development of SLJI Curriculum for Training Needs Analysis Induction Program initiated

Awaiting SLJI board approval for training methodologies.

Developing a Judicial Curriculum for CJE SLJI In Progress Education Plan and Course modules for

43 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV training new and existing 6 Course Modules Planning stage judges Curriculum for CJE – a) Curriculum for Earmarked the STTA Continuing Judicial consultants for Education (CJE) developing the curriculum b) Course Modules – 6 Course modules – 1. Effective Use of Concept notes Forensic Evidence in submitted to SLJI on 29th Delivering Justice September and awaiting SLJI Board approval 2. Handling Torture Cases at the Pre-Trial and Trial Process

3. Effective Delivery of Justice on Labor Disputes by Presidents of Labor Tribunals

4. Three commercial law-oriented courses

INDICATOR 1.5.1. NUMBER OF PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES FOR IMPROVED COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION SHARING, AND COORDINATION AMONG JUSTICE SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS AND ACTORS ADOPTED This is an outcome indicator that measures the number of amended or otherwise adopted protocols and documented procedures by justice system institutions and its actors for the improvement of communication, information sharing, and coordination among those institutions as a result of project assistance and/or advocacy.

The Year 3 annual target of two was not achieved by the program. CORE Justice interventions related to this indicator have been initiated with counterparts such as procedures on court reporting on case statistics to the JSC and MOJ (model courts initiative), Communication procedures for LAC Centers island wide and procedures and protocols on e-diary system interventions with the AGD are in process.

OBJECTIVE 2: TRANSPARENCY OF AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVED

INDICATOR 2.1: PERCENTAGE OF SATISFIED COURT USERS IN ACCESSING COURT INFORMATION This is an outcome indicator. The indicator measures the percentage of court users who report satisfaction when accessing information – including but not limited to before entering court, when in court, and in follow up to a court visit - out of the total number of court users surveyed via a court user perception survey. This indicator is designed to gain an understanding of the effectiveness of the

44 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV judiciary and court public outreach initiatives. Data collected from court users will show whether there has been any change in understanding court systems and procedures throughout the life of project.

This indicator assumes that project interventions will improve the experience of citizens before, during, and after they visit court, thereby improving transparency and citizen engagement of the justice system. Court users refer to public users who rely on the system as a service as opposed to lawyers, police, or others who also use the systems services but are inherently part of the delivery of justice.

It is expressed in terms of the percentage of all respondents to a court user survey on questions designed to measure court user awareness and access to information.

The Year 3 court user survey will be launched at the start of Year 4 in October 2020 and the data for this indicator will be reported in Y4 Q2 Quarterly report.

Baseline Data. The detail breakdown of attributes used for the baseline and the survey results is presented below for further information.

PUBLIC – N 404 LAWYERS – N 100 POLICE – N 100 Somewhat Strongly Somewhat Strongly Somewhat Strongly Q ATTRIBUTES Agree Agree Agree Agree Agree Agree Easy to get information related to my court 1 57% 7% 54% 9% 61% 25% business before I came to the courthouse Finding where I want to go inside the 2 66% 13% 70% 18% 72% 18% courthouse is convenient /easy Information relevant to my business/ court 3 53% 6% 55% 11% 65% 18% case at the court is easy to obtain Somewhat Strongly Somewhat Strongly Somewhat Strongly Average satisfied court users in access to Agree Agree Agree Agree Agree Agree court information 59% 9% 60% 13% 66% 20%

INDICATOR: 2.1.1 NUMBER OF PUBLIC REPORTS AND OTHER STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS DISSEMINATED. This indicator tracks disseminated strategic communication materials and public reports on the service provisions and other updates of Sri Lankan justice system institutions produced with the support of US government assistance.

CORE Justice targeted three achievements under this indicator for Year 3. CORE Justice achieved two. However, during the latter part of Year 3, CORE Justice supported Legal Aid Commission to edit and print three Annual reports (2015, 2016, 2017).

Activities Completed in Year 3 Year/ Type of Counterpart No Activities Status Quarter Intervention Institution 1 Y3 Q2 Printing and Strategic BASL Completed and Reported dissemination support communication in Y3 Q2. for BASL on "Handbook on

45 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV Supreme court rules" for Sri Lanka Law College students 2 Y3 Q2 Printing and Strategic BASL Completed and Reported dissemination support communication in Y3 Q2 for BASL - "Handbook on Supreme court rules" for Law students - University of Colombo

Activities in Progress (at the end of Year 3) Year/ Proposed Type of Counterpart No Status Quarter Intervention Intervention Institution In progress. Annual report was edited Printing of LAC and translated to Sinhala 1 Y3Q4 Public Report LAC Annual Report 2015 and Tamil during Year 3. Printing will be done in October 2020. In progress. Annual report was edited and translated to Sinhala Printing of LAC 2 Y3Q4 Public Report LAC and Tamil during Year 3. Annual Report 2016 Printing will be done in October 2020.

In progress. Annual report was edited Printing of LAC and translated to Sinhala 3 Y3Q4 Public Report LAC Annual Report 2017 and Tamil during Year 3. Printing will be done in October 2020.

INDICATOR: 2.2.1 NUMBER OF JUSTICE SECTOR OFFICES USING IMPROVED PUBLIC INFORMATION AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES.

This indicator tracks the justice sector offices using improved public information systems and outreach initiatives with the support of CORE Justice interventions. In this indicator, justice sector offices mainly refer to target courts in addition to program counterparts. Access to courts remain as a constant challenge. CORE Justice activities related to this indicator in Year 1 & 2 did not move and that resulted in no progress with this indicator against Year 1 & 2 targets. The Year 3 target was 5.

During Year 3, CORE Justice supported LAC to carry out Communications Assessment and as per the recommendations of same, CORE Justice initiated the process to provide selected ICT infrastructure to LAC to enhance their internal communications and improve their public information and outreach initiatives. As such, in Year 4, 81 LAC centers island wide will improve their public information and outreach initiatives with the support of CORE Justice.

46 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV INDICATOR 2.3.1. NUMBER OF CIVIL SOCIETY (CSO) OR NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS (NGO) TRAINED ON COURT OBSERVATION TECHNIQUES This indicator was introduced in Year 3 and it measures the number of civil society organizations trained by CORE Justice on court observation techniques. Court observation techniques refer to the data collection and/or analysis of court proceedings, which ranges from administration procedures to court hearings.

The Year 3 target for this indicator was three. CORE Justice trained seven CSOs in Year 3 on court observation techniques. They are:

1. Women and Media Collective

2. Law & Society Trust (LST)

3. Equal Grounds

4. CENWOR

5. WERC +CHRD

6. Viluthu

7. Centre for Equality and Justice

OBJECTIVE 3: GOVERNANCE, QUALIFICATIONS, AND DIVERSITY OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION ENHANCED

3.1 NUMBER OF PROTOCOLS, PROCEDURES, AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE GOVERNANCE, QUALIFICATIONS, AND DIVERSITY OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION ADOPTED OR IMPLEMENTED This indicator was introduced in Year 3 and it measures the number of protocols, procedures, and activities designed, adopted, or implemented with the support of CORE Justice to enhance governance, qualifications, and diversity of the legal profession. CORE Justice interventions planned for Year 4 that may be reported for this indicator.

INDICATOR: 3.1.1 NUMBER OF BASL STRATEGIC PLAN MILESTONES COMPLETED. This indicator tracks the number of completed milestones as per the BASL strategic plan supported through the CORE Justice program. CORE Justice is continuously working with BASL on identified targets to strengthen BASL services. Four milestones were set as the target to achieve in Year 3. However, CORE Justice supported BASL to complete two milestones during Year 3. The said milestones were:

1. BASL - IT infrastructure support under organization development (Y3 Q2)

2. Organizational development and capacity building for BASL (Y3 Q2)

Even though CORE Justice has been engaging with BASL to support the completion of strategic plan milestones, BASL’s organizational priorities did not remain aligned with the areas CORE Justice offered support for.

47 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV INDICATOR 3.2.1. NUMBER OF LEGAL PROFESSIONALS AND/OR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION AND/OR PURSUING LEGAL EDUCATION This indicator tracks the number of individuals participating in continuing legal education courses conducted either directly by the program or trained by justice sector institutions or associations based on assistance provided by CORE Justice.

One thousand five hundred legal professionals and/or students were targeted for Year 3. CORE Justice has achieved 2661 (187 % of achievement). 2040 legal professionals and 621 law students (1672 females and 989 males) participated in CLE training events. Of these, 1076 participants were youths (falling within the category of age 29 and below). Please see the table below for further information.

Age Age Y/Q Date Activity 29 & 30 & Male

Total below above Female Counterpart Y3 1-Oct- CORE Justice Events in Y3 Q1 JSC, 165 56 109 30 135 Q1 19 to BASL, 31-Dec- LAC 19 Y3 1-Jan20 CORE Justice Events in Y3 Q2 BASL, 539 237 302 35 504 Q2 – 31- LAC Mar-20 Y3 1-Apr20 CORE Justice Events in Y3 Q3 LAC, 1351 446 905 686 665 Q3 to 30- CLS Jun-20

Y3 Q4 – List of Events Y3 2-Jul-20 SLLCC – “The Way Forward in SLLCC 44 23 21 14 30 Q4 Finance Leasing Business in View of The Current Socio-Economic Climate” Y3 7-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program for CLS 61 18 43 43 18 Q4 Apprentices and Junior Lawyers with Colombo Law Society – ‘’Navigating the Unofficial Bar’’ Y3 9-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program for CLS 67 16 51 49 18 Q4 Apprentices and Junior Lawyers with Colombo Law Society – Careers in the Private Sector Y3 14-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program for CLS 65 14 51 51 14 Q4 Apprentices and Junior Lawyers with Colombo Law Society – Careers in the Academic, Not-for- Profit and Humanitarian Sector Y3 16-Jul-20 Webinar Series on Current Legal SLLCC 85 33 52 52 33 Q4 Topics/Issues in collaboration with the SLLCC - Webinar titled “Mens Rea in Criminal Law – A Practical Approach” Y3 17-Jul-20 Career Guidance Program for CLS 50 14 36 37 13 Q4 Apprentices and Junior Lawyers

48 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV

Age Age Y/Q Date Activity 29 & 30 & Male

Total below above Female Counterpart with CLS– Careers in the State Sector

Y3 23-Jul-20 Webinar Series on Current Legal SLLCC 36 20 16 8 28 Q4 Topics/Issues in collaboration with the SLLCC - Webinar titled, “Immigration Law and New Developments” Y3 30-Jul-20 Webinar Series on Current Legal SLLCC 29 12 17 6 23 Q4 Topics/Issues in collaboration with the SLLCC - Online discussion titled, “An Introduction to Anti- Money Laundering Regime in Sri Lanka” Y3 13-Aug- Webinar Series on Online Dispute CCC- 21 5 16 13 8 Q4 20 Resolution (ODR) - Introduction ICLP to Online Dispute Resolution ADR (ODR) Centre Y3 27-Aug- Webinar Series on Online Dispute CCC- 9 5 4 2 7 Q4 20 Resolution (ODR) - focused on ICLP “How Mediators and Arbitrators ADR can Move Their Practice Online” Centre Y3 3-Sep-20 Webinar Series on Online Dispute CCC- 16 7 9 6 10 Q4 Resolution (ODR) - “Online ICLP Dispute Resolution: Ethics and Best ADR Practices” Centre Y3 10-Sep- Webinar Series on Forensics, CLS 19 10 9 7 12 Q4 20 Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes – Session on “Biological Evidence” by Mr. Erdem Kara (1st Webinar) - Co-hosted by CORE Justice and CLS Y3 19-20 BASL Eastern Province Law BASL 73 62 11 16 57 Q4 Sept, Conference 2020 Y3 23-Sep- Webinar Series on Forensics, CLS 10 4 6 4 6 Q4 20 Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes – Session on “Digital Evidence” by Mr. Erdem Kara (2nd Webinar) Y3 30-Sep- Webinar Series on Forensics, CLS 21 7 14 10 11 Q4 20 Digital Evidence and Cyber Crimes – Session on “Cyber Crimes” by Mr. Erdem Kara (3rd and Final webinar) Total for Y3Q4 606 250 356 318 288 Total for Year 3 2661 999 1672 1076 1585

INDICATOR: 3.3.1 NUMBER OF CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOOLS / RESOURCES FOR WOMEN IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION DEVELOPED / INITIATED

49 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV This indicator measures the developed career and professional development tools / resources and any initiated networks for women in the legal profession supported with US Government assistance. The target is set as two career and professional development tools / resources for Year 3. CORE Justice achieved the target through the following interventions:

1. Organizing the Second Career exposure tour for selected women law students with the objective of exploring career opportunities in Sri Lanka - 19th to 21st January 2020 (Y3 Q2)

2. Conducting the Symposium of “Women and Law” – 24th September 2020 (Y3 Q4)

CORE Justice’s annual summary of progress against indicators is included as Annex A.

6. STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT Engagement with government and non-government counterparts is addressed throughout Section 2 above.

50 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV 7. PLANNED INTERVENTIONS FOR THE NEXT QUARTER Planned interventions for the next quarter are included below. At the time of writing, Sri Lanka has experienced a significant increase in the number of positive cases detected with the government acting to curb the spread. CORE Justice anticipates an impact of these measures on in-person meetings and events planned for the next quarter. In select cases, the dates for the planned interventions are still pending approval from the respective counterpart.

DATES EVENT VENUE OCTOBER 2020 3 Planning meeting with CLS to develop a (CLE) policy Colombo 4-6 Law Student Career Guidance Study Tour Colombo NOVEMBER 2020 TBC Training on “Customer Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff” for court staff, Matara district TBC TBC Training on “Customer Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff” for court staff, Vavuniya district TBC TBC Training on “Customer Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff” for court staff, Kandy district TBC TBC Training for Court Registrars on Court Management TBC TBC CORE Justice- CLS program for junior lawyers TBC TBC Model courts initiative: court user survey TBC TBC Training on “Customer Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff” for court staff, Mannar district TBC TBC Training for Prosecutors in the Criminal Division of the Attorney General’s Department TBC TBC Training on handling matters involving child victims for the Child Protection Unit TBC TBC Training on “Customer Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff” for court staff, Kegalle district TBC DECEMBER 2020 TBC Training on Civil Appellate Advocacy Skills for State Counsel TBC TBC Training on Criminal Appellate Advocacy Skills for State Counsel TBC TBC CORE Justice – CLS Legal Education Program for out-station lawyers TBC TBC Trial Skills Training for Outstation Women Attorneys-at-Law based out-station TBC TBC Pilot training of the Judicial induction Program TBC TBC Training for the State Attorney's Branch of the Attorney General’s Department TBC TBC Training on Effective Use of Forensic Evidence in Delivering Justice TBC TBC Training on “Customer Care and Service Excellence for Court Staff” for court staff, Kataragama district TBC

51 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV 8. LESSONS LEARNED NEED FOR CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT. CORE Justice continually engages with counterparts at multiple decision-making levels which helps to create trust, sustain interest, and promote decision making. Continuous engagement with the JSC led to significant progress in setting up model courts – a significant achievement for CORE Justice for this project year. Ensuring commitment from counterparts, in writing if appropriate, is needed. Further, the project recognizes that continuous communication and regular check-ins are essential in ensuring commitment particularly during these unprecedented times with COVID-19.

NEW WAYS OF PROGRAM DELIVERY AND WAYS OF WORKING. Webinars were initially organized in response to restrictions on movement prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As normalcy was gradually restored towards the end of Quarter 3 and into Quarter 4, webinars became a proactive mode of delivery of quality and reliable CLE programs, helping to make learning opportunities more readily available and accessible. The need for lawyers and the judiciary to continue to build their capacity and expand their knowledge, especially in uncertain times, is of great importance amid an increase in new legal issues and challenges arising from a COVID-19 determined context. Webinars helped to increase the outreach of CLE opportunities on emerging areas of law.

While the versatility of online learning proved to be invaluable and enabled CORE Justice to host online trainings/discussions on various topics reaching different beneficiary groups, a key learning was the inherent difficulties of sustaining audience interest once the country started opening up following the country-wide lockdown. CORE Justice, therefore, moved into a mode of mixed delivery in Quarter 4 using online learning where feasible, for example, where international experts or resource persons where involved.

SUSTAINABILITY: CORE Justice considers sustainability as key as year 4 approaches to ensure that activities continue beyond the lifetime of the CORE Justice project. In Quarter 4, CORE Justice expanded engagement with actors in the local justice sector, for example, CLS and the SLLCC. Further, sustainability and continued delivery of trainings beyond CORE Justice continue to be stressed in support to counterparts, particularly in curriculum development and expansion of organizational training capacity.

52 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV ANNEX A. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PLAN

The performance management plan is attached in annex.

53 | CORE JUSTICE ANNUAL REPORT – Y3 USAID.GOV