Special gazette introduces new guidelines for appointing President’s Counsels
November 25, 2021 07:14 am
A Gazette Extraordinary was published on Wednesday (Nov. 24) introducing new guidelines for the appointment of President’s Counsels.
Dated November 22, the communiqué was issued by Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundera under the directives of the Head of State.
The previous gazette notification issued on October 29, 2019 has been rescinded through the new communiqué.
As per the new guidelines, no individual can be appointed as a President’s Counsel unless he or she is an attorney-of-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
They are also required to reach eminence in the legal profession and maintain a high standard of conduct and professional rectitude.
Among other requirements, the guidelines note that they should actively contribute by advocacy in any court or make an active contribution to the development of the law or make a significant and outstanding contribution as a subject specialist in law at senior level either in the public sector or in an internationally recognized institution based in Sri Lanka or overseas and bring reputation or honour to the country.
