Sri Lanka Law College

Sri Lanka Law College
Established	1874
Type	Public
Principal	Dr. W.D. Rodrigo
Location	Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Law College was established as the Ceylon Law College under the Council of Legal Education (it self established in 1873) in 1874 in order to impart a formal legal education to those who wished to be lawyers in Ceylon.^[1] Situated at Hultsdorf Street in Colombo.

Law education

In order to practice law in Sri Lanka a lawyer must be admitted and enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. To receive Admission to the bar a law student must complete law exams held by the Sri Lanka Law College.

The course of study for law students at Sri Lanka Law College does not grant any degree or certification but at completion of studies, examination and a period of apprenticeship qualify for admission to the profession. Graduates holding LLB degrees from University of Colombo, the Open University of Sri Lanka or any other university will be required to complete several examinations and the period of apprenticeship to become an Attorney-at-Law by receiving Admission to the bar.

The Law College carries out several post attorney courses including an LLM from the University of Wales and post attorney diploma's in intellectual property law and international trade law.

Admission

Since the late 1980s admission has been from a very competitive entrance exam due to the high number of applicants. However young Members of Parliament without higher educational qualifications receive direct admission without setting for the entrance exam.

Notable alumni

• President Junius Richard Jayewardene - First executive President of Sri Lanka.
• President Mahinda Rajapaksa - Current (5th) Executive President of Sri Lanka and Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
• Hon. Gamini Dissanayake - former Cabinet Minister,and a Presidential candidate
• Hon. M. H. M. Ashraff - former Cabinet Minister of Ports Development, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction, Member of Parliament and Father of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
• Hon. Justice Parinda Ranasinghe - former Chief Justice of Sri Lanka^[2]
• Hon. Justice Sri Lankabhimanya Christopher Weeramantry - former Judge of the International Court of Justice and Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
• Hon. Justice J. F. A. Soza - former Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
• Hon. Justice Sarath N. Silva - former Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
• Hon. Justice V. Manicavasagar- former Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and Chancellor of the University of Jaffna
• Hon. Justice Shirani Tilakawardene - Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lank
• Hon. Justice Saleem Marsoof, PC - Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and
• Hon. Justice Siva Selliah - former Judge of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
• Sarath Ambepitiya - former Judge of the High Court of Colombo
• Dr. Harry Wilfred Jayewardene, QC - former President Sri Lanka Bar Association, Chairman Industrial Disputes Commission, UN Human Rights Commission
• Senator Somasundaram Nadesan, QC - former Senator & President of the Bar Council
• Hon. H. Sri Nissanka, QC - Member of Parliament
• Hon. Dilan Perera - Current Minister of Port Development
• Hon. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle - former Cabinet Minister and a Member of Parliament
• Hon. Rohitha Bogollagama - former Cabinet Minister and a Member of Parliament
• Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, PC -Sri Lankan Ambassador to Italy
• Lasantha Wickrematunge - Journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Sunday Leader
• Dr. W. D. Rodrigo - Principal, Sri Lanka Law College.

Partner universities

• University of Wales, United Kingdom

See also

• Sri Lankan universities

References

1. ^ Historical Overview of Education in Sri Lanka, Ministry of Education
2. ^ The rise of Sinhala in our courts – Part II

External links

• Official website