Sri Lanka

Enforcing Contracts in

Sri Lanka

Listed below is a detailed summary of the efficiency of contract enforcement. It follows the evolution of a sale of goods dispute, tracking the time, cost and number of procedures involved from the moment the plaintiff files the lawsuit until actual payment.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Court Name (English): Colombo District Court
  • City: Colombo

About This Topic

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Indicator
Time (days) 1,318
Filing and service 62
Trial and judgment 1,000
Enforcement of judgment 256
Cost (% of claim) 22.8
Attorney cost (% of claim) 20.2
Court cost (% of claim) 1.1
Enforcement Cost (% of claim) 1.48
Procedures (number) 40
Filing and service
1      Plaintiff requests payment: Plaintiff or his lawyer asks Defendant orally or in writing to comply with the contract.
2      A third person formally notifies Defendant: A person other than the Plaintiff or his lawyer, such as a notary public, formally notifies Defendant of Plaintiff’s request for payment.
3      Plaintiff’s hiring of lawyer: Plaintiff hires a lawyer to represent him before the court.
*      Plaintiff’s filing of summons and complaint: Plaintiff files his summons and complaint with the court, orally or in writing.
*      Plaintiff’s payment of court fees: Plaintiff pays court duties, stamp duties, or any other type of court fee.
4      Registration of court case: The court administration registers the lawsuit or court case. This includes assigning a reference number to the lawsuit or court case.
5      Court scrutiny of summons and complaint: A judge examines Plaintiff's summons and complaint for formal requirements.
*      Judge admits summons and complaint: After verifying the formal requirements, the judge decides to admit Plaintiff’s summons and complaint.
6      Court order for service: Upon Plaintiff’s request, judge orders process be served on Defendant.
7      Delivery of summons and complaint to person authorized to perform service of process on Defendant: The judge or a court officer delivers the summons to a summoning office, officer, or authorized person (including Plaintiff), for service of process on Defendant.
*      Arrangements for physical delivery of summons and complaint: Plaintiff takes whatever steps are necessary to arrange for physical service of process on Defendant, such as instructing a court officer or a (private) bailiff.
*      Mailing of summons and complaint: Court or process server, including (private) bailiff, mails summons and complaint to Defendant.
8      First attempt at physical delivery: A first attempt to physically deliver summons and complaint to Defendant is successful in the majority of cases.
9      Second attempt at physical delivery: If a first attempt was not successful, a second attempt to physically deliver the summons and complaint to Defendant is required by law or standard practice.
10      Application for substituted service: Because physical delivery is not successful in the majority of cases, Plaintiff applies for substituted service. Substituted service can include, but is not limited to, service by publication in newspapers or affixing of a notice in court or on public bul
11      Court order regarding substituted service: The judge in a court order defines acceptable means for substituted service.
12      Substituted service: Substituted service is accomplished by publication in newspapers, by affixing a notice in court or on public bulletin boards, etc.
*      Proof of service: Plaintiff submits proof of service to court.
Trial and judgment
13      Defendant’s filing of defense or answer to Plaintiff’s claim: Defendant files a written pleading which includes his defense or answer on the merits of the case. Defendant's written answer may or may not include witness statements, expert statements, the documents Defendant relies on as evidence and the legal authori
14      Deadline for Plaintiff to answer Defendant's defense or answer: Judge sets the deadline by which Plaintiff will be allowed to answer Defendant's defense or answer.
15      Plaintiff’s written response to Defendant's defense or answer: Plaintiff responds to Defendant’s defense or answer with a written pleading. Plaintiff's answer may or may not include a witness statements or expert (witness) statements.
16      Framing of issues: Plaintiff and Defendant assist the court in framing issues on which evidence is to be presented.
*      Request for interlocutory order: Defendant raises preliminary issues, such as jurisdiction, statute of limitation, etc.
*      Court’s issuance of interlocutory order: Court decides the preliminary issues the Defendant raised by issuing an interlocutory order.
17      Plaintiff’s appeal of court's interlocutory order: Plaintiff appeals the court's interlocutory order, which suspends the court proceedings.
18      Request for oral hearing or trial: Plaintiff applies for the date(s) for the oral hearing or trial.
*      Setting of date(s) for oral hearing or trial: The judge sets the date(s) for the oral hearing or trial.
*      List of (expert) witnesses: The parties file a list of (expert) witnesses with the court. (see assumption 6-a)
19      Adjournments: Court proceedings are delayed because one or both parties request and obtain an adjournment to prepare for the oral hearing or trial.
20      Trial (prevalent in common law): The parties argue the merits of the case at (an) oral session(s) before the court. Witnesses and expert witnesses are questioned and cross-examined during trial.
21      Adjournments: Court proceedings are delayed because one or both parties request and obtain an adjournment during the oral hearing or trial, resulting in an additional or later trial or hearing date.
22      Order for submission of final arguments: The judge sets the deadline for the submission of final factual and legal arguments.
*      Final arguments: The parties present their final factual and legal arguments to the court either by oral presentation or by a written submission.
23      Judgment date: The judge sets a date for delivery of the judgment.
24      Notification of judgment in court: The parties are notified of the judgment at a court hearing.
25      Writing of judgment: The judge produces a written copy of the judgment.
26      Registration of judgment: The court office registers the judgment after receiving a written copy of the judgment.
27      Plaintiff's receipt of a copy of written judgment: Plaintiff receives a copy of the written judgment.
28      Appeal period: By law, Defendant has the opportunity to appeal the judgment during a period specified in the law. Defendant decides not to appeal. Judgment becomes final the day the appeal period ends.
29      Reimbursement by Defendant of Plaintiff's court fees: The judgment obliges Defendant to reimburse Plaintiff for the court fees Plaintiff has advanced, because Defendant has lost the case.
Enforcement of judgment
*      Plaintiff’s hiring of lawyer: Plaintiff hires a lawyer to enforce the judgment or continues to be represented by a lawyer during the enforcement of judgment phase.
30      Plaintiff's approaching of court enforcement officer or (private) bailiff to enforce the judgment: To enforce the judgment, Plaintiff approaches a court enforcement officer such as a court bailiff or sheriff, or a private bailiff.
*      Plaintiff’s request for enforcement order: Plaintiff applies to the court to obtain the enforcement order ('seal' on judgment).
31      Plaintiff’s advancement of enforcement fees: Plaintiff pays the fees related to the enforcement of the judgment.
32      Attachment of enforcement order to judgment: The judge attaches the enforcement order (‘seal’) to the judgment.
*      Delivery of enforcement order: The court's enforcement order is delivered to a court enforcement officer or a (private) bailiff.
33      Request to Defendant to comply voluntarily with judgment: Plaintiff, a court enforcement officer or a (private) bailiff requests Defendant to voluntarily comply with the judgment, giving Defendant a last chance to comply voluntarily with the judgment.
34      Identification of Defendant's assets for attachment by court official or Defendant: Judge, a court enforcement officer, a (private) bailiff or the Defendant himself identifies Defendant's movable assets for attachment.
35      Contestation of selection of assets identified for attachment: The party, Plaintiff or Defendant, who was not involved in the designation of the assets to be attached, contests the selection of assets for attachment.
36      Attachment: Defendant’s movable goods are attached (physically or by registering, marking or separating assets).
37      Report on execution of attachment: A court enforcement officer or private process server delivers a report on the attachment of Defendant's movable goods to the judge.
38      Enforcement disputes before court: The enforcement of the judgment is delayed because Defendant opposes aspects of the enforcement process before the judge.
39      Call for public auction: The judge calls a public auction by, for example, advertising or publication in the newspapers.
40      Sale through public auction: The Defendant’s movable property is sold at public auction.
41      Payment: Court orders that the proceeds of the public auction or the direct sale be delivered to Plaintiff.

Nature of Procedures 41
Specialized commercial courts -1
Total Number of Procedures 40
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