News
Justice Nalin Perera sworn in as 46th Chief Justice
Justice Nalin Perera was sworn in as the 46th Chief Justice of the country before President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday.
He commenced his career as a Primary Court judge in 1980, after passing out from Law College in 1977. After serving as a Primary Court judge in Embilipitiya and Welimada, he was promoted a Magistrate in 1984 and served in Mt Lavinia, Walasmulla, Kalutara and Colombo Fort.
In 1990 he was appointed District Court judge and served in Galle, Matara, Colombo, Kalutara, Awissawella and Mt Lavinia areas.
He was appointed to the High Court in 2001. He served in Ratnapura, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Colombo. He served as a Criminal High Court judge and in the Civil Appellate High courts. He delivered the judgment in the Thrimavitharana murder case, as the Ratnapura High Court judge.
In 2011 he assumed duties as a Court of Appeal judge and five years later promoted a Supreme Court judge.
He also lectured at the Judges Training School.
His wife, Shirani Perera, an Attorney-at-Law who served in the public sector, is currently retired from service.
His sister, late Sherin Madawala, served as a Court of Appeal judge.
He was educated at St Thomas’ Kotte and St Thomas’ Guruthalawa.
Among his contemporaries at Law College were former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Minister late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Supreme Court judge, Eva Wanasundara and former Justice Ministry Secretary Kamalini de Silva.
The ceremonial sitting to welcome the new Chief Justice will take place next week.
| CJ Dep was fiercely independent: Deputy President BASL | |
| A Ceremonial Sitting was held in honour of retiring Chief Justice Priyasath Dep P.C. on Friday at the Supreme Court. He was appointed Chief Justice on March 2, 2017. Deputy President Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry P.C. speaking at the ceremonial sitting said that, during the tenure of Chief Justice Dep, though it was a relatively short period, it was yet a tremendously productive tenure. He said the outgoing Chief Justice was a fair and reasonable judge and, whilst he had been extremely courteous to the members of the Bar, he was yet, firm towards the course of administration of justice and discharged his duties with uprightness and honesty, by being fearlessly independent in the thought process and in the ultimate delivery of judgment. He said some of Chief Justice Dep’s judgements and the rulings related to the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, the determination on the reference as to the duration of the term of the office of the incumbent President of the Republic and several other important Bills referred to his Bench, consistently displayed his commitment to uphold the rule of Law, the principle of separation of power and the role of the Apex Court of the Republic as the guardian of the Constitution and the citizens of the Republic. Chief Justice Priyasath Dep enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law in October 1976 and joined the Attorney General’s Department as a State Counsel in January 1978. He was promoted Senior State Counsel in February 1989. He was appointed Deputy Solicitor General in February 1996, Additional Solicitor General in October 1999 and a President’s Counsel in April 2000. He was appointed Solicitor General in April 2007 and functioned in that capacity until his elevation to the Supreme Court in June 2011. |