Related Research Articles
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.
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.
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.
Arumadura Lawrence Romelo Duminda Silva,popularly as Duminda Silva or R. Dumindha Silva,is a Sri Lankan politician and a former Member of Parliament. He is the brother of Raynor Silva,owner of the Asia Broadcasting Corporation. On 8 September 2016 he was sentenced to death by the High Court of Sri Lanka for the murder of Sri Lankan politician Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra,a political rival.
Upatissa Atapattu Bandaranayake Wasala Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Shirani Anshumala Bandaranayake,known as Shirani 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 on 29 January 2015,one day after her reappointment,claiming support for a free and fair Judiciary in Sri Lanka.
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.
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.
Sathya Hettige PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He is a former 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.
Shanthi Eva Wanasundera PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. She is a former puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Prior to her appointment as puisne justice,in 2012,she served as Solicitor General and Attorney General of Sri Lanka.
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.
Sarath de Abrew was a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Buwaneka Aluwihare PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He is a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Fiji. Prior to his appointment as Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka,he served as a Deputy Solicitor General of the Attorney General's Department. He was sworn in by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees. He has also served as a prosecutor for the UN's Serious Crimes Investigation Unit. Aluwihare worked as a prosecutor for the United Nations East Timor war crimes tribunal. In 2015 he was also appointed to the Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Fiji.
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.
Sithambarampillai Thurairaja,PC is a Sri Lankan lawyer and a sitting puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. He was formerly a justice of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka and High Court of Fiji.
Prasanna Sujeewa Jayawardena,PC was a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Jayantha Chandrasiri Jayasuriya,PC is a lawyer who is serving as the 47th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka since 2019. Jayasuriya was approved by the Constitutional Council on the 26 April 2019 and sworn in three days later on the 29 April,succeeding Chief Justice Nalin Perera. He previously served as the 45th Attorney General of Sri Lanka. While serving as Attorney General Jayasuriya defended the sacking of the Prime Minister by the President of Sri Lanka but was over-ruled by the Supreme Court. Jayasuriya controversially requested an extension of the term of office of President Sirisena prior to being made Chief Justice. The Supreme Court overruled that request.
Gamini Amarasekera is a Sri Lankan judge appointed to the Supreme Court by the Constitutional Council on 9 January 2019.
Dappula de LiveraPC is a Sri Lankan lawyer and the former Attorney General of Sri Lanka. He previously served as the Solicitor General of Sri Lanka from February 2018 and took over as acting attorney general from 29 April 2019 until his formal appointment in May 2019.
References
- ↑ "Three new Supreme Court justices sworn in". Adaderana.lk. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- ↑ "Three new Supreme Court Judges sworn in". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- ↑ Nafeel, Disna Mudalige and Nushka. "Constitutional Council approves nominations for SC, CA". Daily News. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- 1 2 3 "Preethi Padman Surasena elevated to position of Court of Appeal President". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. January 15, 2018.
| The Court |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current membership |
| ||||
| All members | |||||
 | This Sri Lankan biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |