Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe

Democracy - A Case Study on Sri Lanka” 2012
• Ph.D, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, Thesis subject; “Comparative Analysis of the Oriental Concept of Righteousness with the Occidental Concept of Justice in the Administration of Justice” 2013
• LL.D (Honoris causa) For completed works, (Analyzing 10 Law books) Commonwealth University
• M. Phil, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, 2010
• Master of Art, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, 2009
• LL.B (Bachelor of Law) University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1982
• Attorney-at-Law, Sri Lanka Law College, 1983
• Diploma, University of Fribourg, Switzerland, Diploma on the subject of “Conflict Resolution and Power Devolution” 2007
• Examiner, LL.B degree, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, 1984 - 1991
• Examiner, LL.M, degree, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo
• Examiner, Ph.D degree, Pali and Buddhist University
• Visiting Lecturer, University of Colombo, Mass Communication Diploma Course
• Enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law on 1984 April 06
• Sworn in as a President’s Counsel on 2011 April 06


Trained more than 100 junior Lawyers in his Chamber and some them are now President’s Counsel, Judges in High Court and Court of Appeal. in 2001 in Sri Lankan history
• TOYP (The Outstanding Young Person) Award Winner in the field of Legal Affairs in 1998
• Sri Lankan of the Year - 2007 (The Most prestigious Award conferred on the person who rendered the most valuable service to the nation during the year 2007 by LMD Media Services)
• National Apex Award 2013, conferred by the Organization of Professional Association of Sri Lanka. (It is an Award given for life time contribution made to the profession and this the first ever award given to the legal profession)
• Gandhi Peace Award 2011, conferred by Gandhian Movement and International Youth Conference in Chandigarh, India, recognizing the anti-corruption movement led by him in Sri Lanka.
• Dharma Neethi Visharadha Sashana Vibooshana conferred by the Shayamopali Asgiri Maha Vihara Chapter.
• Deshabimani Sri Lanka Janaranjana conferred by Amarapura Mulawansika Chapter and Anagarika Dharmapala Foundation. (Elected with the highest ever majority)
• Vice Chairman, Colombo Law Society, 1990/1991
• Chairman, Sri Lanka Press Council, 1998 - 2002
• Vice President, World Association of Press Councils, 1999-2002
• Member, Law Commission
• Legal Advisor, Ministry of Fisheries ,1997-2001
• Chairman, Rent Board of Review, 1995 to 1999
• Director, National Film Corporation, 1998 - 2001
• Managing Director, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., 2003/2004
• Director, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation
• Chairman, Olympic Anti-doping Committee, 1998-2008
• Chairman, Disciplinary Committee on Lawyers Misconduct, appointed by the Chief Justice
• Mediator/Conciliator, Human Rights Commission
• Chairman, UN Vesak Calibration Committee, in 2017

Positions in Parliament
• Member of Parliament, 17 years
• Member, Constitutional Council
• Chairman, Parliamentary Select Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE)
• Member, Parliamentary Select Committee on Public Accounts (PAC)
• Chairman, Parliamentary Select Committee on Legislation
• Member, High Post Committee
• Member, Parliamentary Business Committee
• Member, Standing Orders Committee
• member, Ethics Committee
• Member of Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption
( GOPAC )
• Member of Commonwealth Parliamentary Group
• Member of the Parliamentary Group of the United Kingdom

In Political Parties
• Member, Executive Committee, SLFP
• Chairman, Disciplinary Committee, SLFP
• Member, Working Committee, UNP
• Chairman, Policy and Research Committee, UNP
• Member, Leadership Council, UNP
• Chief Organizer, Maharagama, SLFP
• Chief Organizer, Maharagama, UNP

Positions held previously
1. Minister, State Banks Development, 2005/2006
2. Minister, Justice, 2015-2017
3. Minister, Buddhasasana, 2015-2017
4. Minister, Labour,
5. Minister, Prison Reforms
6. Minister, Education
7. Minister, Higher Education
8. Minister, Cultural Affairs

Delivery of Landmark lectures
• American Day Speech - 2009 organized by the Embassy of the United States of America in Sri Lanka
• Guest lecture on anti-corruption laws, the Senate of the University of Peradeniya, 2009
• Professor Nandadasa Kodagoda Commemoration lecture, 2011
• Professor Nandasena Ratnapala Commemoration lecture, 2011
• Dr. P.R. Antony's Memorial Lecture, 2013
• Dr. Ambedkar’s Memorial Lecture, in Bombay University, 2016
• Delivered over 100 lectures at seminars, attended by Lawyers and other professionals and media personnel.
• Key note address on the 13th United Nation’s Vesak Day Calibration held in Bangkok in May 2016
• Key note address on the 15th United Nation’s Vesak Day Calibration held by UNESCO in Paris in May 2018
• Key note address on the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace in 2021

Few Landmark Cases in the Profession
• Successfully obtained a judgment from the Supreme Court to quash the agreement by which the Govt. privatized the Central Transport Board in 2002 while over 10 President’s Counsel and the Attorney General opposed to him.
• Successfully resisted the enactment of "State Lands (Special Provisions) Bill" twice by obtaining determinations from the Supreme Court in 2003 and 2018.
• Defense counsel in Udathalawinna 10 murders case at a Trial at Bar.
• Obtained a judgment from the Supreme Court quashing the School Admission Circular in 2008.
• Defended the Sri Lankan sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe on doping charges in the International Arbitration held in Monaco, 1999 and got her acquitted.
• Secured Sampath Bank in the attempt made by Distilleries Ltd and H.N.B to acquire it while opposing to around 8 President’s Counsel.
• Opposed to Mr. K.N. Choksey, Mr. Arther Samarasekera, Mr. Faiz Mustapha, President’s Counsel and Mr. E.D.Wickremenayake, senior Lawyer in in the Supreme Court in Ebert Silva’s Case. In the Original Court to Mr. A.C. Goonaratne, QC and others.
• Successfully obtained a judgment to expel Dr. Rajitha Senaratne from the Parliamentary seat opposing to Mt. K.N.Choksey, PC, Mr. Ben Eliyatambi, PC Mr. Ronald Perera, PC and a team of Lawyers.
• Series of cases where the owners of “World Trade Centre” and also the Cricket Board. Participations in International Studies, Workshops, Conferences and Seminars
• Vienna Institute and UNDP, Austria, joint workshop on the subjects of “Conflict Resolution and Power Devolution”, 2010
• Bangkok University, Thailand, on the subject of “Conflict Resolution and Power Devolution,” 2005
• La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, “Parliamentary Oversight on Public Finance and Good Governance”, 2006
• Dhaka, Bangladesh, Workshop on the subject of “Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Tool in Public Finance”, 2009
• Hong Kong, Workshop on the subject of “Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Tool in Public Finance”, 2009
• Kathmandu, Nepal, Workshop on the subject of “Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Tool in Public Finance”, 2009, 2010
• Washington USA and Hawaii on the subject of “Disaster Management” 2007
• Inter- parliamentary Organization Conference in 2013 held in Geneva
• Cambodia on framing a health policy for countries, 2010
• Delivered the Speech as the Guest of Honour in the Conference to Promote Democracy Globally in Mexico, 2016
• Led delegations as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Press Council and the Vice President of the World Association of Press Councils to the following international conferences and delivered lectures in all such conferences. New Delhi, India in (1997) Brisbane, Australia (1998)
Cairo, Egypt (1998) Istanbul, Turkey (1999)
Kuala Lumpur (2000)
• As the Minister of Buddhasasana was he was instrumental in getting the 14th United Nation’s Vesak Day Celebration and the three days Conference to Sri Lanka in May 2017 to which representatives came from 74 countries including Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Nepal President Bindhya Devi Bhandari. As a Legislator
• He as the Minister of Justice was mainly responsible for enacting the 19th Amendment to the Constitution by which the excessive executive powers of the President was pruned and established the Constitutional Council and nine independent Commissions including Election Commission, Police Commission, Audit Commission etc., and made provisions therein requiring prior approval of the Constitutional Council for the appointment to key posts in public instructions such as Chief Justice, Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, Attorney-General, Inspector-General of Police etc.
• He enacted the Act for the Protection to the Victims and Witnesses and established the “Victims and Witnesses Protection Authority” in 2015. This is the first ever legislation made in Sri Lanka to safeguard the rights of Victims and Witnesses.
• He also established the “International Arbitration Centre” in Colombo in 2015
• he as the Minister of State Bank Development recovered over Rs. 4 billion which were due and outstanding from errant customers of the State Banks.
• I was an agitator for the establishment of good governance in the public sector and fought against Government despite being a member of it. Finally he resigned from my Ministry and crossed over to the opposition and contested from the opposition party for the Colombo Electoral District and won in 2010 April. While the coalition regime consisted of 60 members who have crossed over from the opposition to the Government rank, he is the only member who crossed over from the Government rank to the opposition rank.
• When he was the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) I presented two reports respectively on 12.01.2007 and 24.08.2007 by making a startling revelation of corruption in the public sector to the tune of a sum Rs. 300 Billion whereas the Government’s annual revenue (then) was around Rs. 800 Billion.
• Although he was a member of the ruling party, the Executive made every possible attempt to prevent me the presentation of reports. One night my house came under Army surveillance in which over 80 Army Cadres were deployed for the purpose of preventing me from going to Parliament. Notwithstanding life threats that he faced he went to the Parliament and did render his duty towards the country. He blazed a new trail by adopting a new parliament tradition and got both his reports unanimously approved in the House.
• Since the executive refused to implement his recommendations, Supreme Court endorsed the said reports and recommendations. Based on the findings of the reports the Court directed to reacquire the privatized Insurance Corporation of Sri Lanka and a land in extent of 8.2 Acres at the Colombo Port which had been conveyed to private sector in a corrupt dealing in the privatization of the shares of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and Lanka Marine Services Co. Ltd. In consequence, Apollo Hospital, private banks shares as well as Shell Gas Company (Litro) were acquired by the State.
• As a result of his initiatives the State was able to re-acquire a wealth over Rs. 300 billion at that time.
• I introduced several Private Member Bills which are of National importance.
• I appeared in a large number of cases on human rights violations without charging any fees and I never charged for my appearances in cases to claim compensation for victims in accidents.
• When then regime sold the Government Owned Bus public transportation called “Central Transport Board” in 2002 to a private businessman I litigated and got cancelled the relevant agreement and thereby still there remain a government owned public transport organization in the country. Social Services
All what he received by way of salaries, allowances, remuneration as a Member of Parliament in the first 6 years tenure amounting to Rs. 3.3 Million, and with added personal money amounting to another sum of Rs. 1.7 Million (Total Rs. 5 Million) purchased an operation theatre and donated it to National Cancer Hospital at Maharagama in 2009. He has spent all my wages and salaries he received as a minister and a member of Parliament for public welfare. Text Books that I Authored
1. Case Law on Civil Procedure Code,
2. Law of Property I, Ownership,
3. Law of Property II, Ownership,
4. Law of Property III, Actions,
5. Law of Property IV, Landlord and Tenant
6. Practice and Law of Banking
7. Civil Appeals
8. Democracy under the Executive Presidency
9. Righteousness and Justice
10. The Law of Banking and Finance
11. Essays on Law
12. Media Freedom and Responsibility
13. The Majestic Chronicle of Sri Dalada
14. Beyond the Horizon (ඉංග්‍රීසි කවි)
15. C. P. de Silva alias Minneri deviyo
16. Family Law
17. රාඡ්‍ය පාලනයේ විකාශය සහ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙි අනාගතය
18. ජනමාධ්‍ය නිදහස සහ වගකීම
19. ජන සන්නිවේදන මූලධර්ම
20. සිංහල සාහිත්‍ය රසවින්දනාත්මක විග්‍රහයක්
21. සංහිඳ පාමුල, (පද්‍ය)
22. නෙත ගැටෙනා ඉසව්වේ (පද්‍ය)
23. සුදු පාවඩ (නව කතා)
24. ශ්‍රී දළදා වංශය
25. බෞද්ධ විනය, විහාර සම්ප්‍රදාය සහ අද්‍යතන නීතිය
26. ධම්ම සංකල්පය සහ යුක්ති සංකල්පය
27. උඩු ගම් බලා පීනන්නට වෙර දරණ සත්‍යයේ හඬ
28. අවනඩුව (කෙටි කතා)
29. අතූරැදහන් අපේක්ෂකයාගේ අභිරහස (පරිවර්තන)
30. සී. පී. ද සිල්වා හෙවත් මින්නේරි දෙවියෝ
31. භික්ෂු දේශපාලනය
32. ආලෝකෝ උදපාදී
Aesthetic engagements
ගීත රචනය, (ගීත ඇල්බම් තුන)
හිරු සදු අරණ
පෙම් පවුර
සයුමැලි මල
Director and producer of the short film "අග්නිදේශ"
Co-producer, නිදහසේ පියා. ඩී. එස්