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Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka | |
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Established | 1971 |
Jurisdiction | Sri Lanka |
Authorized by | Government of Sri Lanka |
Appeals to | Supreme Court of Sri Lanka |
Number of positions | 20 |
Website | www |
President of the Court of Appeal | |
Currently | Hon. Justice K. Priyantha Fernando |
The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka, commonly known as the Appeal Court, is the second most senior court in the Sri Lankan legal system, with only the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka above it. Established in 1971, under the Court of Appeal Act No. 44 of 1971, the Appeal Court has jurisdiction to hear appeals from the High Court or any lower court; its own decisions may be additionally appealed to the Supreme Court. The Appeal Court is headed by the president of the Court of Appeal. [1]
The court consists of the president of the Court of Appeal along with six to nineteen other judges who are recommended for appointment by the president of Sri Lanka and approved by the parliamentary Council.
Judges can serve until the retirement age for judges, fixed by Constitution at 63 years.
Appeal Court judges wear dark purple gowns when attending court. On special ceremonial occasions (such as ceremonial sittings of the Appeal Court) they wear dark purple gowns, barrister's bands, mantle, and a long wig.
A juj is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility and arguments of the parties, and then issues a ruling in the case based on their interpretation of the law and their own personal judgment. A judge is expected to conduct the trial impartially and, typically, in an open court.
In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms, a King's Counsel is a lawyer appointed by the state as a senior advocate or barrister with a high degree of skill and experience in the law. When the reigning monarch is a woman, the title is Queen's Counsel (QC).
Court dress comprises the style of clothes and other attire prescribed for members of courts of law. Depending on the country and jurisdiction's traditions, members of the court may wear formal robes, gowns, collars, or wigs. Within a certain country and court setting, there may be many times when the full formal dress is not used. Examples in the UK include many courts and tribunals including the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and sometimes trials involving children.
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka is the highest court in Sri Lanka and the final judicial instance of record. Established in 1801 and empowered to exercise its powers subject to the provisions of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the Supreme Court has ultimate appellate jurisdiction in constitutional matters and takes precedence over all lower courts. The Sri Lankan judicial system is a complex blend of common law and civil law. In some cases, such as those involving capital punishment, the decision may be passed on to the President of Sri Lanka for clemency petitions. The current Chief Justice of Sri Lanka is Jayantha Jayasuriya.
Sarath Nanda Silva PC served as the 41st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
The Supreme Court of Singapore is a set of courts in Singapore, comprising the Court of Appeal and the High Court. It hears both civil and criminal matters. The Court of Appeal hears both civil and criminal appeals from the High Court. The Court of Appeal may also decide a point of law reserved for its decision by the High Court, as well as any point of law of public interest arising in the course of an appeal from a court subordinate to the High Court, which has been reserved by the High Court for decision of the Court of Appeal.
There are various levels of judiciary in England and Wales—different types of courts have different styles of judges. They also form a strict hierarchy of importance, in line with the order of the courts in which they sit, so that judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales are given more weight than district judges sitting in county courts and magistrates' courts. On 1 April 2020 there were 3,174 judges in post in England and Wales. Some judges with United Kingdom-wide jurisdiction also sit in England and Wales, particularly Justices of the United Kingdom Supreme Court and members of the tribunals judiciary.
The judiciaries of the United Kingdom are the separate judiciaries of the three legal systems in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, Employment Tribunals, Employment Appeal Tribunal and the UK tribunals system do have a United Kingdom–wide jurisdiction but judgments only apply directly to the jurisdiction from which a case originates as the same case points and principles do not inevitably apply in the other jurisdictions. In employment law, employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal have jurisdiction in the whole of Great Britain.
The chief justice of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head of the judiciary of Sri Lanka and the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Established in 1801, the chief justice is one of ten Supreme Court justices; the other nine are the puisne justices of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1801. The chief justice is nominated by the Constitutional Council, and appointed by the president. The first chief justice was Codrington Edmund Carrington. The 47th and current chief justice is Jayantha Jayasuriya.
An Attorney at law in Sri Lanka is the only legal practitioners authorised to represent others in all court of law in the island and are also authorised to give advice regarding any matter of law. Alternative terms include lawyer.
Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra also known as "Lucky Aiya", was a Sri Lankan politician, a former member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, and Adviser to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He was killed along with his bodyguards during a shootout within the same party rival group allegedly headed by MP Duminda Silva.
Pathmanathan Ramanathan was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and judge. Known as Rama, he was a High Court judge, Court of Appeal judge, provincial governor, university chancellor and a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Shirani Bandaranayake, the 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, was impeached by Parliament and then removed from office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January 2013. Bandaranayake was accused of a number of charges including financial impropriety and interfering in legal cases, all of which she has denied. The impeachment followed a series of rulings against the government by the Supreme Court, including one against a bill proposed by Minister Basil Rajapaksa, President Rajapaksa's brother. Bandaranayake was replaced as chief justice by former Attorney General Mohan Peiris. Peiris is considered to be an ally of President Rajapaksa and his appointment is seen by critics as further consolidation of power by the president and his family. Bandaranayake refused to recognise the impeachment and lawyers groups refused to work with the new chief justice. Bandaranayake's controversial impeachment drew much criticism and concern from within and outside of Sri Lanka. On 28 January 2015 she was reinstated and retired on 29 January, the next day.
Rohini Perera Marasinghe is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. She was a sitting judge on the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Prior to her appointment as Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, in April 2013, she served as a judge of the Court of Appeal and was promoted to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice S. I. Imam.
The Judiciary of Sri Lanka are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Sri Lanka. The Constitution of Sri Lanka defines courts as independent institutions within the traditional framework of checks and balances. They apply Sri Lankan Law which is an amalgam of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law and Customary Law; and are established under the Judicature Act No 02 of 1978 of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Sarath de Abrew was a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Hettikankanange Nalin Jayalath Perera is a Sri Lanka judge who served as the 46th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.
Vijith K. Malalgoda is a judge from Sri Lanka. He is a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and former president of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka.
Prasanna Sujeewa Jayawardena, PC was a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.