Two Criminal Justice Commissions were formed, the first in 1972 to try the perpetrators of the 1971 JVP insurrection and the second in 1975 to prosecute exchange control offences.
The concept of a tribunal empowered to inquire and sentence, by passing the normal judicial process that would otherwise take many stages and years was envisioned by Victor Tennekoon, the Attorney General.
The government quickly passed the Criminal Justice Commissions Act in parliament and the first Criminal Justice Commission was established by a warrant issued by the Governor General in May 1972.
By 1975, 139 inquires were conducted and 3872 insurgent suspects were charged and 2919 were produced before the commission.
The members of the commissions connived and held their hearings at the premises of the Queen's Club in Colombo.