Prabaharan Kumararatnam among new Court of Appeal judges

COLOMBO: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pledged to support independence of the judiciary and ensures its functioning is free of politicization and other forms of interference

Marking a new milestone in the judicial system of the country 21 new Judges to superior courts were sworn in before President Rajapaksa.

Six new Judges to the Supreme Court and 14 new Judges to the Court of Appeal took oaths before President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat.

Chief Justice Jayantha C Jayasooriya, Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present.

Judges appointed to the Supreme Court

1. Justice A. H. M. Dilip Nawaz

2. Justice Kumudini Wickremasinghe

3. Justice Anthony Lalith Shiran Gooneratne

4. Justice Janak de Silva

5. Justice Arachchige Achala Uthpalavarna Wengappuli

6. Justice Mahinda Abeysinghe Samayawardhena

Justice Arjuna Obeysekara was sworn in as the President of the Court of Appeal.

Judges appointed to the Court of Appeal

1. Ms Menaka Wijesundera

2. Mr  D. N. Samarakoon

3. Mr M Prasantha de Silva

4. Mr M. T. M. Laffar

5. Mr C. Pradeep Keerthisinghe

6. Mr Sampath B Abayakoon

7. Mr M. S. K. B. Wijeratne

8. Mr S. U. B. Karalliyadde

9. Mr R. Gurusinghe

10. Mr G. A. D. Ganepola

11. Mrs K. K. A. V. Swarnadhipathi

12. Mr Mayadunne Corea

13. Mr Prabaharan Kumararatnam

14. Mr W. N. N. P. Iddawala

Addressing the gathering, President Rajapaksa a pledged to support independence of the judiciary and ensured its functioning is free of politicization and other forms of interference.

“The judicial cadre of both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal has remained static since 1978. Although the necessity of increasing the number of judges in the superior courts has been mooted several times in the past, the number of judges in both courts has remained the same for over forty years. There have been many advancements in the law and litigation has increased exponentially in this time. However, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of judges.”

The efficient administration of justice is not only important in terms of upholding the rule of law, it is also vital to the economic development of this nation President said adding that  reliable, efficient and effective dispute resolution through the justice system will foster the nation’s progress.