He said the shortcomings in legal research over the past years had been an impediment towards the progress of the legal sector resulting in a deficiency in information needed for the drafting of laws.

The new unit would help identify shortcomings in existing laws and the sectors where new laws should be drafted and to upgrade the legal sector to an eminent level for which Rs. 75 million has been allocated from this year's budget, the minister said.

A special discussion was held in this connection at the Justice Ministry on February 11 chaired by ministry secretary Padmasiri Jayamanna to make arrangements for this purpose, a ministry release stated.