List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka


This is a list of Justices of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Justices are placed in the order in which they took the judicial oath of office and thereby started their term of office. While many of the justices' positions prior to appointment are simply listed as "lawyer", many had part-time positions, such as teaching, or acted as counsel to various levels of government.

Justices

No.NameProvinceBirth/deathTerm of
active service
Term of
service as Chief
Length in days of active
service
Length
in days as Chief
Appointed byLaw schoolPosition prior to appointment
1Codrington Edmund CarringtonEngland1769 - 1849March 1801 – 2 April 1806March 1801 – 2 April 1806North
Counsel to the East India Company
2Edmund Henry LushingtonEngland1766 - 18395 September 1801 – 180915 April 1807 - 1809NorthUniversity of CambridgeBarrister
3Alexander JohnstonScotland1775 - 184915 April 1807 – 14 February 1809♦
6 November 1811 - 1819
6 November 1811 - 1819+?MaitlandUniversity of GöttingenAdvocate Fiscal of Ceylon
4William CokeEngland1776 - 18186 March 1809 – 1 September 1818 ♦†6 March 1809 – 1811MaitlandUniversity of OxfordAdvocate Fiscal of Ceylon
5Henry Byrne5 November 1818 – 1819
BrownriggBarrister
6Ambrose Hardinge GiffardIreland1771 - 18278 April 1819 – 2 March 18278 April 1819 – 2 March 1827BrownriggUniversity of DublinAdvocate Fiscal of Ceylon
7Richard Ottley1782 - 18458 May 1820 – 18331 November 1827 – 1833BarnesChief Justice of Grenada
8Henry MatthewsEngland1789 - 182810 October 1827 – 1828
BarnesUniversity of CambridgeAdvocate Fiscal of Ceylon
9Charles MarshallEngland1788 - 187314 June 1828 – 3 March 1836♦18 February 1833 – 3 March 1836BarnesUniversity of Cambridge
10William RoughEngland1772 - 183818 February 1833 — 1838
Wilmot-HortonUniversity of Cambridge
11William NorrisEngland1795 - 18591834 – 183727 April 1836 – 1837Wilmot-HortonAdvocate Fiscal of Ceylon
12John JeremieGuernsey1795 - 184110 March 1836 – 1840
Wilmot-HortonPublic prosecutor of Mauritius
13John Fredrick StoddartMalta1805 - 18392 June 1838 – 19 August 1839†
Stewart-MackenzieUniversity of Glasgow
14Anthony OliphantScotland1793 - 185922 October 1838 - 185422 October 1838 - 1854Stewart-MackenzieAttorney General of the Cape Colony
15J. G. Hillebrand23 November 1839 – 1841
Stewart-Mackenzie
16William Ogle CarrEngland1802 - 185619 December 1939 — 185617 April 1854 – 1856Stewart-MackenzieKing's Advocate of Ceylon
17John StarkScotland10 October 1840 –
Stewart-MackenzieQueen's Advocate of Ceylon
18Christopher Temple28 January 1854 – 1873
AndersonUniversity of CambridgeJudge of the District Court of Colombo
19Paul Ivy Sterling– 188020 November 1855 –
WardUniversity of DublinAttorney General of Hong Kong
20William Carpenter RoweEngland1801 – 18591857 – 18591857 – 1859WardUniversity of Oxford
21Edward Shepherd CreasyEngland1812 - 187827 March 1860 – 187527 March 1860 – 1875
WardUniversity of Cambridge
22Richard MorganWestern Province1821 - 18761860 – 1860
1857 – 1857
WardJudge of the District Court of Colombo
23George Lawson1860 – 1861
1871 – 1872
WardUniversity of CambridgeJudge of the District Court of Colombo
24Henry Byerley Thomson1822 - 18671 January 1863 – 1866
MacCarthyUniversity College London
University of Cambridge
Queen's Advocate of Ceylon
25Charles Henry Stewart1824 - 189411 January 1867 – 1879 ♦
RobinsonDeputy Queen's Advocate of Ceylon
26Richard CayleyEngland1833 – 190826 July 1874 – 18821 October 1879 – 1882
GregoryUniversity of CambridgeQueen's Advocate of Ceylon
27Lovell Burchett ClarenceEngland1838 - 19174 April 1876 – 1888
GregoryUniversity of CambridgeActing Queen's Advocate of Ceylon
28Harry Dias BandaranaikeBritish Ceylon1822 - 19011976
5 July 1879 – 1892
Acting Chief Justice
Gregory
Longden
University of CambridgeBarrister
29William HackettIreland1824 - 18773 February 1877 — 18773 February 1877 — 1877
GregoryUniversity of DublinChief Justice of Fiji
30John Budd PhearEngland1825 - 190513 November 1877 – 30 September 187913 November 1877 – 30 September 1879LongdenUniversity of CambridgeHigh Court of Calcutta
31Archibald Campbell LawrieScotland1837 - 19146 July 1892 – 1901
LongdenJudge of the District Court of Kandy
32Jacobus de WetSouth Africa1838 – 190031 May 1882 – 29 May 188331 May 1882 – 29 May 1883LongdenLeiden University
University of London
33Bruce BurnsideBahamas1833 – 190921 May 1883 – 189321 May 1883 – 1893
LongdenQueen's Advocate of Ceylon
34John Winfield BonserEngland1847 – 191413 November 1893 – 190213 November 1893 – 1902HavelockUniversity of CambridgeChief Justice of the Straits Settlements
35George Henry Withers6 July 1892 – 1900
Havelock
36Dodwell BrowneIreland1841 – 19201895 – 1895
HavelockUniversity of DublinJudge of the District Court of Colombo
37Frederick Charles Moncrieff4 April 1900 – 1905
Ridgeway
38Henry Lorentz Wendt15 October 1901 – 28 November 1910
39John Page Middleton28 January 1902 – 1912
Puisine Judge of the Supreme Court of Cyprus
40Charles LayardWestern26 April 1902 – 18 June 190626 April 1902 – 18 June 1906
41Joseph Richard Grenier28 November 1910 – 1912♦
42Alexander Wood Renton3 September 1905 – 191822 August 1914 - 1918
43Alfred LascellesEngland1857 - 19521 May 1911 – 19141 May 1911 – 1914
University of OxfordAttorney General of Ceylon
44Joseph Turner HutchinsonEngland23 October 1906 – 1 May 191123 October 1906 – 1 May 1911
45Walter Pereira4 July 1912 –
46James Van Langenberg
47Thomas de Sampayo1915 –
University of CambridgeCommissioner of Assize
48George Francis Macdaniel Ennis5 August 1912 –
49Walter ShawEngland1863 - 193710 December 1914 – 1921
University of CambridgeChief Justice of British Honduras
50Gualterus Stewart Schneider
51Anton Bertram1869 - 193726 July 1918 – 192526 July 1918 – 1925University of CambridgeAttorney General of Ceylon
52Hermann Albert Loos
53William Thomas Porter12 January 1922 –
54Thomas Garvin1881 - 194021 June 1921 – 1935
ManningColombo Law CollegeSolicitor General of Ceylon
55John Adrian St. Valentine Jayewardene1877 - 19271923 –
ManningJudge of the District Court of Colombo
56Llewelyn Dalton1871 - 194514 March 1925 –
ManningUniversity of CambridgePuisine Judge of the Supreme Court of the Gold Coast
57Lewis Matthew MaartenszWestern1876 - 194218 February 1935 –
58Maas Thajoon Akbar1880 - 1944
University of CambridgeSolicitor General of Ceylon
59Charles Ernest St. John Branch1865 - 19393 July 1925 – 25 May 19263 July 1925 – 25 May 1926Durham University
60Stanley Fisher1867 -11 December 1926 – 193011 December 1926 – 1930Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago
61Robert Lyall-GrantScotland1875—195517 February 1926 –
CliffordUniversity of Aberdeen
University of Edinburgh
Attorney General of Kenya
62Allen Drieberg19 September 1927 –
63Eugene Wilfred JayewardeneWestern1874 - 1932May 1928 –
FletcherMember of the Colombo Municipal Council
64Philip James Macdonell1873 - 19403 October 1930 - 19363 October 1930 - 1936Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago
65Lucian Macull Dominic de Silva
66William Edward Barber
67Francis Harold Bertram19 February 1935 –
68Kenneth Poyser
69Francis Soertsz- 195112 November 1936 –
70Sidney AbrahamsEngland1885 - 19573 July 1936 – 19393 July 1936 – 1939University of Cambridge
71Francis Moseley2 August 1936 –
72Vincent Fernando11 November 1937 –
73Hector Hearne21 May 1937 –
74Arthur Eric Keuneman4 March 1938 –
University of Cambridge
75Oswald Leslie De Kretser IIWestern1882 - 19598 April 1938 – 1945
CaldecottUniversity College, ColomboCommissioner of Assize
76Arthur Wijewardena1887 - 196422 August 1938 – 195015 January 1949 – 1950University of CambridgeSolicitor General of Ceylon
77J. H. B. Nihill18 November 1938 –
78John Curtois Howard1 December 1939 – 19451 December 1939 – 1945Attorney General of Cyprus
79G. H. F. Cannon1885 -
University of Oxford
80Edward Jayetileke1888 - 197514 May 1942 – 11 October 19511950 – 11 October 1951CaldecottSolicitor General of Ceylon
81Alan Rose1899 - 197511 January 1945 – 195611 October 1951 – 1956MooreUniversity of Cambridge
82A. R. H. Canakeratne1886 - 196028 March 1945 –
MooreCeylon Law College
University of London
Commissioner of Assize
83Manikku Wadumestri Hendrick de Silva1886 -
MooreUniversity of LondonAttorney General of Ceylon
84Reginald Felix Dias Bandaranaike II1891 - 19513 September 1946 –
MooreUniversity of CambridgeJudge of the District Court of Colombo
85Chellappah Nagalingam1893 - 195822 July 1947 – 1958
MooreCeylon Law CollegeAttorney General of Ceylon
86Ralph Windham1905 - 198023 July 1947 – 1950
MooreUniversity of Cambridge
87Hema Henry Basnayake1902 - 198123 October 1947 – 3 August 19641 January 1956 – 3 August 1964SenanayakeAttorney General of Ceylon
88Noel Gratiaen1904 - 197322 March 1948 –
SenanayakeUniversity of OxfordAttorney General of Ceylon
89E. H. T. Gunasekera1900 - 19621 March 1949 – 25 January 1962
Senanayake
90M. F. S. Pulle1898 - 197528 September 1949 –
Senanayake
91V. L. St. C. Swan1894 - 19611 May 1950 –
Senanayake
92H. A. de Silva1891 -30 November 1950 –
Senanayake
93Kairshasp ChoksyWestern
94Henry Weerasooriya1902 -10 July 1953 – 24 February 1964
SenanayakeUniversity of London
95K. D. de Silva1898 -10 July 1953 –
Senanayake
96Miliani Sansoni1904 -10 May 1954 – 17 November 19663 August 1964 – 17 November 1966KotelawalaUniversity of London
97Hugh Fernando1910 - 197616 May 1955 – 17 November 197320 November 1966 - 17 November 1973Kotelawala
98Thusew Samuel Fernando1906 -2 May 1956 –
BandaranaikeUniversity of London
Colombo Law College
Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
99Nadaraja Sinnetamby1900 -3 May 1956 –
BandaranaikeUniversity of London
100Lionel W. de Silva1898 -5 November 1959 – ♦
Dahanayake
101Leonard de Silva1904 -16 August 1966 –
Senanayake
102Henry ThambiahNorthern1906 – 19971 December 1961 – 27 May 1968
BandaranaikeUniversity College, Colombo
Ceylon Law College
University of London
Commissioner of Assize
103Kingsley Herath25 January 1962 –
Bandaranaike
104Asoka AbeyesundereSouthern1906 - 198820 April 1962 – 3 May 1968
BandaranaikeUniversity of London
Ceylon Law College
105Ponnuduraiswamy Sriskandarajah1905 - 196822 June 1962 – 8 February 1967
BandaranaikeCeylon University College
Ceylon Law College
Commissioner of Assize
106Gardiye Punchihewage Amaraseela Silva1913 -22 June 1962 – 19741973 – 1974
BandaranaikeUniversity of London
107Lionel Sirimanne1909 - 1974
Bandaranaike
108Vaithalingam ManicavasagarWestern1906 - 199317 December 1964 – 14 December 1967
BandaranaikeColombo Law CollegeCommissioner of Assize
109Anthony AllesCentral1911 – 20031964 – 1974
BandaranaikeUniversity of Ceylon
Ceylon Law College
University of London
Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
110Veeravagu Sivasubramaniam1908 - 19851966 – 1970
SenanayakeUniversity of LondonCommissioner of Assize
111George Samerawickrame1916 -18 November 1966 – 9 April 1981
SenanayakeUniversity College, Colombo
112Victor TennekoonCentral1914 -8 February 1967 – 1 July 1970
1 January 1974 - 8 September 1977
1 January 1974 - 8 September 1977+SenanayakeUniversity of London
Ceylon Law College
Judge of the Court of Appeal
113Christopher WeeramantryWestern1926 - 20171967 – 30 April 1972
SenanayakeUniversity of Ceylon
University of London
Commissioner of Assize
114Oswald Leslie De Kretser IIIWestern1910 -1968 – 21 January 1972
SenanayakeUniversity College, Colombo
University of London
Judge of the District Court of Panadura
115Samarapilimudalige WijayatilakeCentral1912 - 19901968 – 16 May 1975
SenanayakeUniversity College, Colombo
Ceylon Law College
Commissioner of Assize
116Pandita Gunawadena1909 -1968 – 10 February 1971
Senanayake
117Vincent Thamotheram1915 -23 March 1970 – 1980
SenanayakeUniversity College, Colombo
Ceylon Law College
Commissioner of Assize
118Hector Deheragoda1913 -22 February 1972 – 27 December 1976
BandaranaikeUniversity of London
119Cuda Banda Walgampaya1913 -22 February 1972 – 3 January 1976
BandaranaikeUniversity of London
120Jaya Pathirana1921 - 200022 February 1972 – 1978
BandaranaikeUniversity of London
121Dharmadasa Wimalaratne1920 -10 April 1972 - ?
20 October 1980 – 15 September 1985
Bandaranaike
122Tellipalai Rajaratnam1920 - 199410 April 1972 – 1978
BandaranaikeUniversity of LondonCommissioner of Assize
123Donald Sirimanne1914 -1973 –
Gopallawa
124Cyril Udalagama1918 -1 January 1974 –
GopallawaUniversity of London
125T. A. de S. Wijesundera1920 -1 January 1974 –
Gopallawa
126Malcolm Perera1923 -1 January 1974 –
Gopallawa
127Izadean Mohamed Ismail1916 -1 January 1974 – 18 December 1981
Gopallawa
128Joe Weereratne1917 -1 January 1974 –
GopallawaUniversity of London
129Arulampalam Vythialingam1916 -1 January 1974 –
Gopallawa
130Noel Tittawela1923 -1 January 1974 –
GopallawaUniversity of London
131Suppiah SharvanandaNorthern1923 - 20071 January 1974 – 198829 October 1984 – 1988GopallawaColombo Law College
University of London
132Somaratne Walpita1919 -1 January 1974 –
Gopallawa
133Wilmot Gunasekera1922 -2 May 1974 –
GopallawaUniversity of London
134Barnes Ratwatte II1918 - 20042 December 1974 – ?
11 April 1981 – 22 November 1983
Gopallawa
Jayewardene
Ceylon Law CollegePresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
135Raja WanasunderaSabaragamuwa1924 - 20125 June 1975 – ?
GopallawaUniversity College, Colombo
Ceylon Law College
University of London
Stanford University
Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
136Percy Colin-ThoméSouthern1922 -12 January 1976 – 1977
29 December 1981 – ?
Gopallawa
Jayewardene
University of Ceylon
University of Cambridge
Judge of the High Court of Colombo
137Neville Samarakoon1919 - 1990– 21 October 19841977 – 21 October 1984JayewardeneUniversity College, Colombo
Colombo Law College
138Victor Perera24 July 1981 – 18 August 1983
Jayewardene
139Anton SozaWestern1919 - 201326 January 1982 – 3 February 1984
JayewardeneUniversity of LondonJudge of the Court of Appeal
140Parinda Ranasinghe1926 -15 November 1982 – 19911988 – 1991JayewardeneColombo Law College
141Abdul Cader1920 -8 December 1982 – 28 May 1985
JayewardeneUniversity of London
142Heevi Rodrigo1919 -8 December 1982 – 4 December 1984
Jayewardene
143E. A. D. Atukorale1924 -27 November 1984 –
Jayewardene
144Herbert ThambiahNorthern1926 - 199227 November 1984 – 19921991 – 1991JayewardeneUniversity of Ceylon
Ceylon Law College
Judge of the Court of Appeal
145Lucian Hector de Alwis- 201827 November 1984 –
Jayewardene
146O. S. M. SeneviratneSouthern1924 - 200710 February 1986 – 1989
JayewardeneUniversity of Ceylon
Ceylon Law College
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
147H. A. G. de Silva1925 -10 February 1986 –
JayewardeneUniversity of LondonJustice of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Mark Fernando1941 - 20094 March 1988 – 2005
JayewardeneUniversity of Ceylon, Peradeniya
A. R. B. Amerasinghe1937 - 2013
A. R. N. Fernando
Ameer Ismail1990 – 1994
PremadasaUniversity of Ceylon
Ceylon Law College
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Andrew Ranjan Perera
Pathmanathan Ramanathan1932 - 2006
University of WalesPresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
K. M. M. B. Kulatunge
G. P. S. de Silva1991 — 1999
Sarath N. Silva1995 – 16 September 199916 September 1999 – 7 June 2009KumaratungaSri Lanka Law College
University of Brussels
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Shirani BandaranayakeNorth Western1958 -30 October 1996 – 13 January 2013
28 January 2015 – 29 January 2015
18 May 2011 – 13 January 2013
28 January 2015 – 29 January 2015
++KumaratungaUniversity of Colombo
University of London
Unofficial Bar
C. V. VigneswaranWestern1939 -March 2001 – October 2004
KumaratungaUniversity of Ceylon
Ceylon Law College
Judge of the Court of Appeal
Asoka de Silva1946 -1 August 2001 – 17 May 20118 June 2009 – 17 May 2011KumaratungaUniversity of Peradeniya
University of Colombo
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Chandra Nihal Jayasinghe19 February 2003 – 29 February 2008
KumaratungaUniversity of Colombo
University of Lund
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Nimal Dissanayake– 23 April 2008
Kumaratunga
Shiranee Tilakawardane19 February 2003 - 5 April 2014
KumaratungaSri Lanka Law CollegePresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Nimal Gamini AmaratungaJanuary 2005 – March 2014
KumaratungaUniversity of Colombo
International Maritime Law Institute
Judge of the Court of Appeal
Saleem MarsoofFebruary 2005 – 2014
KumaratungaUniversity of Colombo,
University of San Diego School of Law
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Andrew SomawansaNorth Western28 May 2006 – October 2008
RajapaksaUniversity of Ceylon
University of Nevada
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Jagath BalapatabendiSouthern
RajapaksaCeylon Law CollegeJudge of the Court of Appeal
Kanagasabapathy Sripavan1952 -27 March 2008 – 28 February 201730 January 2015 – 28 February 2017RajapaksaSri Lanka Law CollegeJudge of the Court of Appeal
P. A. Ratnayake2 May 2008 – 15 February 2013
RajapaksaUniversity of Brussels
Chandra EkanayakeNovember 2008 – March 2016
RajapaksaSri Lanka Law CollegePresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
S. I. ImamCentral9 January 2009 – 20 February 2013
RajapaksaJudge of the Court of Appeal
R. K. S. Suresh Chandra17 June 2010 – July 2012
Rajapaksa
Sathya Hettige10 July 2011 – 18 April 2014
RajapaksaUniversity of ColomboPresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Priyasath Dep1953 -10 July 2011 – 2 March 20172 March 2017 – 12 October 2018RajapaksaUniversity of Colombo
International Institute of Social Studies
Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
Eva WanasunderaNorth Western1954 -7 July 2012 – 14 December 2018
RajapaksaSri Lanka Law College
University of Leicester
Attorney General of Sri Lanka
Mohan Peiris♠15 January 2013 – 28 January 201515 January 2013 – 28 January 2015RajapaksaSri Lanka Law CollegeAttorney General of Sri Lanka
Rohini Marasinghe26 April 2013 – November 2015
RajapaksaUniversity of HartfordJudge of the Court of Appeal
Buwaneka Aluwihare†4 December 2013 – present
RajapaksaUniversity of LondonAdditional Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
Sisira de Abrew†Western7 May 2014 – present
RajapaksaSri Lanka Law CollegePresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Sarath de Abrew1953 - 20167 May 2014 – January 2016
RajapaksaSri Lanka Law CollegeJudge of the Court of Appeal
Priyantha Jayawardena†7 May 2014 – present
RajapaksaSri Lanka Law College
University of Aberdeen
Upali Abeyratne17 December 2014 – August 2017
RajapaksaJudge of the Court of Appeal
Anil Goonaratne30 January 2015 – December 2017
SirisenaSri Lanka Law College
University of Exeter
Judge of the Court of Appeal
Kankanithanthri Chitrasiri3 December 2015 – February 2018
SirisenaUniversity of Sri Lanka
Queen Mary University of London
Judge of the Court of Appeal
Nalin Perera3 March 2016 – 29 April 201912 October 2018 – 29 April 2019SirisenaSri Lanka Law CollegeJudge of the Court of Appeal
Prasanna Jayawardena1956 - 201916 June 2016 – 24 December 2019
SirisenaUniversity of ColomboUnofficial Bar
Vijith Malalgoda†May 2017 – present
SirisenaPresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Lalith Dehideniya†16 January 2018 – present
SirisenaPresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Murdhu Fernando†9 March 2018 – present
SirisenaSenior Additional Solicitor General
Sithampbarampillai Thurairaja†Central9 January 2019 – present
SirisenaUniversity of Colombo
University College London
Justice of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Gamini Amarasekera†9 January 2019 – present
SirisenaSri Lanka Law CollegeJustice of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Padman Surasena†9 January 2019 – present
SirisenaSri Lanka Law CollegePresident of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka
Jayantha Jayasuriya†29 April 2019 – present29 April 2019 – presentSirisenaAttorney General of Sri Lanka
Yasantha Kodagoda†24 January 2020 – present
RajapaksaSri Lanka Law College
University College London
President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka