(Lanka-e-News -03.Sep.2025, 10.00 PM) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed 18 new High Court judges in what legal observers described as one of the most significant judicial appointments in recent years.
The letters of appointment were handed over at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday afternoon.
Seventeen of the new appointees are drawn from the senior ranks of the judicial service, while one is a senior state counsel from the Attorney General’s Department. The appointments were made under Article 111 (2) of the Constitution, which grants the president authority to name judges to the superior courts.
The new judges include district judges, magistrates, and senior judicial administrators who will now assume responsibility for some of the most important cases in the country. The list features:
S.S.K. Withana – District Judge
A.M.I.S. Aththanayake – District Judge
A.M.M. Riyal – District Judge
D.P. Mudunkotuwa – District Judge
S.B.H.M.S. Herath – Additional District Judge
J. Kajanideepalan – District Judge
D.M.D.C. Bandara – Senior Assistant Secretary, Judicial Service Commission
H.M.B.R. Wijeratne (Ms) – Additional District Judge
D.M.A. Seneviratne – Additional District Judge
A.A. Anandaraja – Magistrate
G.N. Perera – District Judge
A. Judeson – District Judge
W.K.D.S. Weeratunga (Ms) – District Judge
R.B.M.D.R. Weligodapitiya – District Judge
K.D. Nilupuli V. Lankapura (Ms) – Magistrate
D.M.R.D. Dissanayake – District Judge
M.I.M. Rizvi – District Judge
A. Jayalakshmi de Silva (Ms) – Senior State Counsel, Attorney General’s Department
Legal analysts note that the inclusion of experienced female judges and representation from minority communities reflects an effort to strengthen both the diversity and credibility of the bench.
The appointments come at a critical time, with the High Court expected to handle a growing caseload involving corruption, organised crime, and human rights–related litigation. By elevating judges from across the judicial spectrum, the government signalled a bid to reinforce the independence of the courts and demonstrate a renewed commitment to the rule of law.
---------------------------
by (2025-09-03 16:35:56)
Read 15162 Times
Leave a Reply
0 discussion on this news