Sri Lanka's judicial system is showing signs of progress in addressing crimes committed during the country's decades-long civil war, which ended in 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil Tiger separatist movement. Recent domestic legal developments suggest that national mechanisms can deliver accountability when backed by a government genuinely committed to the rule of law. Observers see the moves as a significant shift for a country long criticised for shielding alleged perpetrators on both sides of the conflict from prosecution.