Junius Richard Jayewardene, commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as J.R., was a Sri Lankan lawyer, Public official and a statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1978 and as the second President of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence. A longtime member of the United National Party, he led it to a landslide victory in 1977 and served as prime minister for half a year before becoming the country's first executive president under an amended constitution.
A President's Counsel is an eminent lawyer who is appointed by the President of Sri Lanka as an individual "learned in the law". The term is an honorific that replaced the Queen's Counsel (QC), which Sri Lanka ceased appointing when it became a republic in 1972. It is equivalent to the appointment of a King's Counsel in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, and that of Senior Counsel in Commonwealth republics, bearing the same privileges, such as sitting within the Bar of court.
Tyronne Fernando PC was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician who served as foreign minister from 2001 until 2004.
Sir Don Baron Jayatilaka, KBE known as D.B. Jayatilaka was a Sri Lankan Sinhalese educationalist, statesmen and diplomat. He was Vice-President of the Legislative Council of Ceylon; the Minister for Home Affairs and Leader of the House of the State Council of Ceylon; and Representative of Government of Ceylon in New Delhi. Sir D. B. Jayatilaka is also considered as a flag bearer of Buddhist education in Sri Lanka.
Deshamanya Neville T. D. Kanakaratna was a Sri Lankan lawyer, diplomat and scholar who was the Governor of the Southern Province. He was the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States and High Commissioner to India.
Siri Perera QC was a Criminal lawyer, a Buddhist leader who was one time the President of the Colombo YMBA. He was also a former Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India.
Deshamanya Hector Wilfred "Harry" Jayewardene, QC was a prominent Sri Lankan lawyer. In 1979 he was chairman of a UNESCO conference on human rights in Bangkok and later chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. He was member at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Chitta Ranjan De Silva, PC was a Sri Lankan lawyer. He was Attorney General and Solicitor General of Sri Lanka. He was the Chairman of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.
Arunachalam Mahadeva, KCMG was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and diplomat. He served as Minister of Home Affairs (1942-1946) and High Commissioner to India (1948-1949).
Peter Mohan Maithree Peiris, PC is a Sri Lankan lawyer and diplomat. He served as the Attorney General of Sri Lanka from 2008 to 2011 and was the de facto Chief Justice of Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2015 when President Maithripala Sirisena declared his appointment void ab initio in 2015. He has been serving as the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations since January 2021 and was elected Vice President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 2023.
Royal College, Colombo also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in January 1836, as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Colebrooke Cameron Commission (1833), and was the first government-run secondary school for boys in the island.
Major General Dr. Chelliah Thurairaja, USP, SLMC was a Sri Lankan military physician, Sri Lankan Army general and sportsman. He was the former Director of Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps. A triple international in basketball, badminton and golf, he is the only Sri Lankan to represent the country in two sports disciplines at the Asian Games-in 1966 in basketball and in 1982 in golf, later winning the gold medal in golf at the World Masters Games 2002.
James Clifford Aelian Corea was a Sri Lankan educationist. He was the former Principal of Royal College Colombo.
Harindra Jayantha Corea was a Sri Lankan politician and Member of Parliament, who represented Chilaw. He was member of the United National Party of Sri Lanka. His parents were Sir Claude Corea who was renowned politician and diplomat and Lady Karmini Corea. Sir Claude was Minister of Labour in the State Council of Ceylon led by DS Senanayake, and was appointed the first ever Representative of Ceylon to the UK and was also Ceylon's first Ambassador in the United States. Harindra Corea was the brother of Nihal Corea and Chandra Corea. The family home was situated in Alfred House Gardens in Colombo.
Sam J. C. Kadirgamar Jr., QC was an eminent Sri Lankan lawyer.
The 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots was a widespread and prolonged ethnic riot in the island of Ceylon between Sinhalese Buddhists and the Ceylon Moors. The riots were eventually suppressed by the British colonial authorities.
Sir Lalitha Abhaya Rajapaksa, QC was a Ceylonese lawyer and politician. He was the first Minister of Justice of Ceylon and a member of the Senate of Ceylon.
Edward Frederick Noel Gratiaen, was a Ceylonese lawyer and judge. He was a former Attorney General of Ceylon and puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon.
E.P. Paul Perera, PC (1929–2007) was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He was a Minister of Science and Technology, Deputy Minister of Justice and a member of parliament.
