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.
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.
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.
Kandapper Chinniah Kamalasabayson was a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer,Solicitor General of Sri Lanka and Attorney General of Sri Lanka.
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.
Mohamed Shibly Aziz,PC was a Sri Lankan lawyer. He served as Attorney General of Sri Lanka from 1995 to 1996 and served in the Constitution Council of Sri Lanka from 2015 to 2018.
Thusew Samuel Fernando,CBE,QC was a Sri Lankan lawyer and judge. He was a Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and Solicitor General of Ceylon.
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.
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 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.
James Cecil Walter Pereira was the 4th Solicitor General of Ceylon. He was appointed in 1906,succeeding Ponnambalam Ramanathan,and held the office until 1912. He was succeeded by James Van Langenberg.
Raja Sirimevan Wanasundera PC was a Sri Lankan judge who served as a Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and the 27th Solicitor General of Sri Lanka.
Yuwanjan Jawaharlal Wanasundera Wijayatilake PC was the 44th Attorney General of Sri Lanka and 43rd Solicitor General of Sri Lanka.
Justice S. W. B. Wadugodapitiya,PC is a Sri Lankan judge. He was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and had served as the Acting Chief Justice. He was also the 33rd Solicitor General of Sri Lanka.
Sarath de Abrew was a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
Murdu Nirupa Bidushinie Fernando,PC is a Sri Lankan judge and lawyer. She is a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka,prior to which she served as the senior additional solicitor general in the Attorney General's Department.
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.
Sanjay Rajaratnam,PC is a Sri Lankan lawyer. He is the current Attorney General of Sri Lanka. He previously served as the Acting Solicitor General of Sri Lanka from October 2019 up until May 2021.
