Majuwana Kankanamage Victor Ivan is Sri Lankan journalist. He was a Marxist rebel in his youth and later became the Editor of the controversial Sinhalese newspaper Ravaya. He served as the Editor of the Ravaya for 25 years consecutively since its inception. Victor is an investigative journalist, political critic, a theorist, social activist and also an author of several books.
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.
Visakha Vidyalaya is a girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a National School managed by the central government providing primary and secondary education.
Sarath Ambepitiya was a Sri Lankan jurist. He was serving as the Judge of the Colombo High Court when he was assassinated. The assassination, orchestrated by a drug lord sentenced by the Judge, gripped the nation and forced the government to crack down on organized crime.
Saleem Marsoof, PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He is a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and former President of the Court of Appeal. He is also a non-resident Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Fiji.
Upatissa Atapattu Bandaranayake Wasala Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Shirani Anshumala Bandaranayake served as the 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. Although a qualified lawyer, she has never practiced law. After university Bandaranayake entered academia, holding a number of senior positions at the University of Colombo, including associate professor of law and the dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo. She was first appointed to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in 1996, becoming Sri Lanka's first female Supreme Court Judge. Bandaranayake was appointed chief justice in May 2011 following the mandatory retirement of Asoka de Silva. Bandaranayake was controversially impeached by Parliament and then removed from office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January 2013. and on 28 January 2015 the government of Sri Lanka, had removed all obstacles for Bandaranayake to hold her position as the 43rd Chief Justice by the President Maithripala Sirisena, on the ground that her 2013 impeachment was unlawful and as such the appointment of Mohan Peiris, her successor, was void Ab initio. This paved the way for Bandaranayake to resume duties on 28 January 2015. She retired from the position just after one day of her reappointment on 29 January 2015 claiming support for a free and fair Judiciary in Sri Lanka.
Deshamanya Justice 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.
Justice Kanagasabapathy J. Sripavan is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and judge. He was Deputy Solicitor General, judge and president of the Court of Appeal, Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and the 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.
The White Flag Case is a court case in which the former Sri Lankan Army chief Sarath Fonseka was prosecuted for an interview which he gave to Frederica Jansz, editor of the Sunday Leader, in which he is stated to have said that surrendering Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were executed and not allowed to surrender on the orders of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He was convicted and jailed for 3 years imprisonment for that interview. A three bench court, in which Deepali Wijesundera was one of three judges of Colombo High Court trial-at-bar, delivered the verdict.
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.
Canagasabapathy Visuvalingam Vigneswaran, PC is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, judge, politician and Member of Parliament. After practising law for more than 15 years, Vigneswaran was a member of the judiciary for 25 years. He was a magistrate and a judge of the District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He was Chief Minister of the Northern Province from October 2013 to October 2018. He was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in August 2020. Vigneswaran is leader of the Tamil People's Alliance and the Tamil People's National Alliance.
Ranasinghe Arachchige Nimal Gamini Amaratunga is a Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. He was appointed in January 2005. Amaratunga compteted his primary education from Maliyadeva College in Kurunegala. Thereafter, Amaratunga attended University of Colombo obtaining a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) in 1970. In October 1972 he was called to the Bar. He joined the Attorney General's Department in 1978 as an Acting State Counsel was appointed a State Counsel on 1 June 1979. Whilst still at the Attorney General's Department, in 1984, he obtained the Post Graduate Degree of Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Colombo. Amaratunga has also obtained a second Post Graduate degree of 'Master of Laws' from the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta, in 1990. He was promoted to Senior State Counsel on 8 September 1988.
Sathya Hettige PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and is also a non-resident Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Fiji. Prior to his appointment as Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka he was serving as president of Court of appeal.
Justice Priyasath Dep PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was the 45th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka and a former Solicitor General of Sri Lanka.
Shanthi Eva Wanasundera PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. She was a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Prior to her appointment as Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, in 2012, she served as Solicitor General and Attorney General of Sri Lanka.
The High Court in Sri Lanka is the only court which exercises the jurisdiction of the court of first instance and the appellate jurisdiction with both civil and criminal jurisdiction.
Justice Sarath de Abrew was a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Justice Hettikankanange Nalin Jayalath Perera is a Sri Lanka judge who served as the 46th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.
Kulahath Sisira Jayawilal de Abrew is a sitting Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka who was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2014 to replace Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunga. In May 2016 de Abrew was appointed to the Judicial Service Commission by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Justice Prasanna Sujeewa Jayawardena, PC was a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
