Hemantha Warnakulasuriya
Encyclopedia
Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, PC
is a Sri Lanka
n lawyer and diplomat. He was the ex Sri Lankan Ambassador
to Italy
.
, Hemantha, a businessman who owned a large transport business, Warnakulasuriya was educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
where he launched launched a handwritten newspaper titled Hela Bima. His classmates at the time was Indika Gunawardena
. He took over his father's business after his death, becoming the President of All Ceylon Lorry Owners Association at the age of 19. During this time he became a patron of the arts and produced several drama productions and a Sinhala film.
He thereafter entered the Colombo Law College and set up Law Students Trust to help needy students.
In 1989 he was elected the Secretary of the Bar Association and served as chairman of the Legal Aid Commission for ten years before been elected as Deputy President of Bar Association.
He is noted as one of the leading criminal lawyers in the country and taken up many notable cases at the Magistrate
's Court of Colombo. In 2006 he was appointed as a President's Counsel
.
The same year he was appointed as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Italy.
President's Counsel (Sri Lanka)
President's Counsel is a professional rank, as their status is conferred by the president, recognised by the courts and wear silk gowns of a special design...
is a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n lawyer and diplomat. He was the ex Sri Lankan Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Early life and education
Born to W. P. Arnolis Appu of TangalleTangalle
Tangalle is a town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka located in the Hambantota District. It has a mild climate, in comparison to the rest of the district, and sandy beaches....
, Hemantha, a businessman who owned a large transport business, Warnakulasuriya was educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
where he launched launched a handwritten newspaper titled Hela Bima. His classmates at the time was Indika Gunawardena
Indika Gunawardena
Indika Gunawardena is a Sri Lankan politician. He was the former Cabinet Minister of Finance in Fisheries, Higher Education and a Member of Parliament...
. He took over his father's business after his death, becoming the President of All Ceylon Lorry Owners Association at the age of 19. During this time he became a patron of the arts and produced several drama productions and a Sinhala film.
He thereafter entered the Colombo Law College and set up Law Students Trust to help needy students.
Legal career
He took oaths as an attorney at law in 1972 and began his practice at the Colombo Magistrate's courts. Where he became the Secretary of the New Courts Law Chambers (now known as the Colombo Magistrate's Court Lawyers Association) He was appointed convener of the 'Professional Affairs Committee', which drafted the "Code of Conduct and Etiquette for Attorneys-at-Law'.In 1989 he was elected the Secretary of the Bar Association and served as chairman of the Legal Aid Commission for ten years before been elected as Deputy President of Bar Association.
He is noted as one of the leading criminal lawyers in the country and taken up many notable cases at the Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
's Court of Colombo. In 2006 he was appointed as a President's Counsel
President's Counsel (Sri Lanka)
President's Counsel is a professional rank, as their status is conferred by the president, recognised by the courts and wear silk gowns of a special design...
.
The same year he was appointed as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Italy.