Minister of Justice (Sri Lanka)

Minister of Justice and National Integration of Sri Lanka
Incumbent Harshana Nanayakkara since 18 November 2024
Minister of Justice and National Integration
Nominator	The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Appointer	The President of Sri Lanka
Formation	September 26, 1947;77 years ago (1947-09-26)
Website	www.moj.gov.lk

The Minister Justice, Public Administration, Provincial Councils, Local Government and Labour is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.

The constitution defines that it is mandatory for a minister of the cabinet to be styled as the Minister of Justice. From 1947 to 1970, per section 48 of the constitution, the Minister of Justice was one of two Ministers appointed from the Senate of Ceylon, as such appointments have been held by Advocates. ^[1] It succeeded the office of Legal Secretary of Ceylon which existed from 1932 to 1947.

List of Justice Ministers

Parties

   Sri Lanka Freedom Party    United National Party    Sri Lanka Muslim Congress    Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna    National People's Power

Name		Portrait	Party	Tenure	Head(s) of Government
	Sir Lalita Rajapaksa, QC		United National Party	26 September 1947 – 1953		D. S. Senanayake Dudley Senanayake
	E. B. Wikramanayake, QC		United National Party	1953 – 1956		John Kotelawala
	M. W. H. de Silva, QC		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	1956 – June 1959		S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
	Valentine S. Jayawickrema		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	June 1959 – 1960
						Wijeyananda Dahanayake
	E. J. Cooray		United National Party	23 March 1960 – 21 July 1960		Dudley Senanayake
	Sam P. C. Fernando		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	23 July 1960 – March 1965		Sirimavo Bandaranaike
	A. F. Wijemanne		United National Party	March 1965 – 1970		Dudley Senanayake
	Felix Dias Bandaranaike		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	1970 – 1976		Sirimavo Bandaranaike
	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	1976 – 1977
	K. W. Devanayagam		United National Party	23 July 1977 – 14 February 1980		J. R. Jayewardene
	Nissanka Wijeyeratne		United National Party	14 February 1980 – 1988
	Vincent Perera		United National Party	1989 – 1990		Ranasinghe Premadasa
	Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed		United National Party	1990 – 1993
	Harold Herath		United National Party	1993 – 1994		Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
	G. L. Peiris		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	1994 – 2001		Chandrika Kumaratunga
	W. J. M. Lokubandara		United National Party	2001 – 2004
	John Seneviratne		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	2004 - 2006
	Amarasiri Dodangoda			2006 – 30 May 2009
						Mahinda Rajapaksa
	Milinda Moragoda		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	30 May 2009 – 23 April 2010
	Athauda Seneviratne		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	23 April 2010 – 22 November 2010
	Rauff Hakeem		Sri Lanka Muslim Congress	22 November 2010 – 28 December 2014
	Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC		United National Party	12 January 2015 - 23 August 2017		Maithripala Sirisena
	Thalatha Atukorale		United National Party	25 August 2017 - 22 November 2019
	Nimal Siripala de Silva		Sri Lanka Freedom Party	22 November 2019 - 12 August 2020		Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe
	Ali Sabry, PC		Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	12 August 2020 - 3 April 2022		Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Office Vacant				3 April 2022 - 26 April 2022		Gotabaya Rajapaksa
	Ali Sabry, PC		Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	26 April 2022 - 9 May 2022		Gotabaya Rajapaksa
	Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC		Independent	20 May 2022 - 29 July 2024		Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremesinghe	[2]
	Ali Sabry, PC		Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna	12 August 2024 - 23 September 2024		Ranil Wickremesinghe	[3]
	Harini Amarasuriya		National People's Power	24 September 2024 – 18 November 2024		Anura Kumara Dissanayake	[4]
	Harshana Nanayakkara		National People's Power	18 November 2024 – Present			[5]

See also

• Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms

References

1. fergusons-ceylon-directory (PDF). historyofceylontea.lk. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
2. "Sri Lanka appoints nine new cabinet ministers". EconomyNext. 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
3. "Ali Sabry takes oath as new Justice Minister". Ada Derana. 2024-08-12. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
4. "Harini Amarasuriya sworn in as Prime Minister - Breaking News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
5. "Harshana Nanayakkara sworn in as Minister of Justice - Breaking News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2024-11-20.

External links

• Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms
• Government of Sri Lanka