Gazette issued outlining guidelines to appoint President's Counsels

The President's Office has issued a gazette notification outling guidelines to appoint President's Counsels in keeping with a Supreme Court order issued to that effect.

The Supreme Court issued an order to that effect this month, after considering a Fundamental Rights application of lawyer Upul Kumarapperuma, against the criteria that had been followed when appointing President’s Counsels (PC's)

Accordingly, the President, through a gazette, will call for applications to appoint PC's, following which a three-member committee headed by the President's Secretary will be appointed to verify the applications.

The appointments would be made based on the report of the committee.

A key regulation listed out in the gazette was that a President's Counsel should be a lawyer "actively engaged in the legal profession" for atleast 20 years and has not obtained "citizenship of another country".

However, a lawyer who meets all other requirements after having 15 years of active practice can apply to be appointed as a President's Counsel, the gazette noted.

It stated that a President's Counsel should have "demonstrated high standard of professional integrity and independence" and not have been subjected to a disciplinary inquiry by the Supreme Court or the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.

Lawyers who are found liable "for professional misconduct" too would be disqualified from applying for the said post.

The list of other regulations can be viewed here