Saleem Marsoof
Encyclopedia
Justice
Saleem Marsoof, PC
is a Sri Lanka
n judge and lawyer. He is a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
and former President of the Court of Appeal.
He is also a non-resident Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of the Fiji Islands.
. In 1971, he graduated from the University of Ceylon
Colombo campus, with a Bachelor of Laws
Degree (LLB) winning the Gate Mudaliyar Edmund Pieris prize awarded for academic excellence, and after passing the Final Examination for the Admission of Advocates held in October 1973, was admitted to the Bar as an Attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in June 1974. He holds two degrees of Master of Laws
(LLM) awarded by the University of Colombo
in 1984 and the University of San Diego School of Law
, California, in 1990. He has been the recipient of fellowships awarded by the British Council, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for study and training in various areas of law, and in 1996, he was awarded the Nuffield Commonwealth Fellowship by the Nuffield Foundation
, London, for study and research at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of London
, which enabled him also to gain first hand work experience on takeovers and mergers at the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, London.
Being a prolific writer, Justice Marsoof is the author of the book The Quazi Court System in Sri Lanka and its Impact on Muslim Women and the principal editor of the volume entitled In Pursuit of Justice: Corde Et Amino. He has been an editor of the Colombo Law Review, the Jura Newsletter, The Attorney General's Journal and the Chairman of the Panel of Editors of the Law College Law Review. He also has to his credit, several book chapters and a large number of articles on a variety of important legal topics.
as a State Counsel, and was promoted as Senior State Counsel in 1983 and appointed to the post of Deputy Solicitor General in 1993. In 1998 he was made Additional Solicitor General, and in the same year, in recognition of his eminence in the Bar, he was awarded silk and was appointed a President's Counsel
. He was elevation to the Judiciary in 2004 as the President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka, after spending 29 in the Official Bar, and at the time of his elevation, he functioned as the Senior most Additional Solicitor General in-charge of the Civil Division of that Department.
Blending his professional expertise with his academic acumen, Justice Marsoof has made a tremendous contribution by being a lecturer in law at the Sri Lanka Law College
, the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Colombo, the Law Faulty of the University of Colombo
, the Open University of Sri Lanka
, the University of Kelaniya, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
and the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies. Justice Marsoof has been the Chairman of the Board of Examiners of the ICLP Arbitration Centre, the pioneer arbitration centre in Sri Lanka. He is currentaly an elected member of the Faculty Board of the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo
, and a Member of the Board of Management of the Judges Institute of Sri Lanka.
Justice Marsoof has been a sought after speaker in Sri Lanka and abroad. He regularly addresses the International Symposium on Economic Crime organised by Jesus College, Cambridge
and was invited to make the Dr. A. M. A. Azeez Memorial Oration in 2002. He also made a keynote address at the International Conference organized by the Kuala Lumpur Regional Arbitration Center in collaboration with UNCITRAL
to celebrate 30 years of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2006. He made the famous Inaugural K.C Kamalasabayson Memorial Oration in 2008 and the prestigious Inaugural Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Oration in 2009, and was invited by the Sri Lanka Malay Association to make the Dr. T.B.Jayah Memorial Oration in 2010.
, which is the apex court of the country, which position he still holds. His dedication and erudition has enabled him to distinguishing himself as one of the most independent and respected judges of that Court.
Apart from his judicial work, Justice Marsoof has been involved in social mobility and law reform initiatives, and is currently the Chairman of the Committee appointed by the Government to suggest amendments to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act in force in Sri Lanka.
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
Saleem Marsoof, PC
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 judge and lawyer. He is a judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka is the highest court of the nation of Sri Lanka. The Supreme Court is the highest and final judicial instance of record and is empowered to exercise its powers, subject to the provisions of the Constitution. The Court has ultimate appellate jurisdiction in...
and former President of the Court of Appeal.
He is also a non-resident Justice of Appeal of the Supreme Court of the Fiji Islands.
Education
Justice Marsoof was educated at Arethusa College, Wellawatte, Zahira College, Colombo and at Royal College ColomboRoyal 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...
. In 1971, he graduated from the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
Colombo campus, with a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
Degree (LLB) winning the Gate Mudaliyar Edmund Pieris prize awarded for academic excellence, and after passing the Final Examination for the Admission of Advocates held in October 1973, was admitted to the Bar as an Attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in June 1974. He holds two degrees of Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LLM) awarded by the University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
in 1984 and the University of San Diego School of Law
University of San Diego School of Law
The University of San Diego School of Law, commonly referred to as USD Law, is a law school located on the campus of the University of San Diego in San Diego, California in the community of Linda Vista. Founded in 1954, the law school has held ABA approval since 1961...
, California, in 1990. He has been the recipient of fellowships awarded by the British Council, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for study and training in various areas of law, and in 1996, he was awarded the Nuffield Commonwealth Fellowship by the Nuffield Foundation
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a British charitable trust, established in 1943 by William Morris , the founder of the Morris Motor Company. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage...
, London, for study and research at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, which enabled him also to gain first hand work experience on takeovers and mergers at the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, London.
Being a prolific writer, Justice Marsoof is the author of the book The Quazi Court System in Sri Lanka and its Impact on Muslim Women and the principal editor of the volume entitled In Pursuit of Justice: Corde Et Amino. He has been an editor of the Colombo Law Review, the Jura Newsletter, The Attorney General's Journal and the Chairman of the Panel of Editors of the Law College Law Review. He also has to his credit, several book chapters and a large number of articles on a variety of important legal topics.
Legal career
In 1975 he joined the Attorney General's DepartmentAttorney-General's Department (Sri Lanka)
The Attorney-General's Department is a non-ministerial government department in Sri Lanka that supports the Attorney General and his/her deputy the Solicitor General. It handles public prosecution and advises the government on legal matters...
as a State Counsel, and was promoted as Senior State Counsel in 1983 and appointed to the post of Deputy Solicitor General in 1993. In 1998 he was made Additional Solicitor General, and in the same year, in recognition of his eminence in the Bar, he was awarded silk and was appointed 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...
. He was elevation to the Judiciary in 2004 as the President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka, after spending 29 in the Official Bar, and at the time of his elevation, he functioned as the Senior most Additional Solicitor General in-charge of the Civil Division of that Department.
Blending his professional expertise with his academic acumen, Justice Marsoof has made a tremendous contribution by being a lecturer in law at the Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College was established as the Ceylon Law College under the Council of Legal Education in 1874 in order to impart a formal legal education to those who wished to be lawyers in Ceylon...
, the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Colombo, the Law Faulty of the University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
, the Open University of Sri Lanka
Open University of Sri Lanka
The Open University of Sri Lanka is a national university in Sri Lanka. It is unique within the Sri Lankan national university system for being the only university to offer programmes of study leading to certificate, diploma, degree, postgraduate diploma and postgraduate degree through the...
, the University of Kelaniya, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka is a professional accountancy body in Sri Lanka. The Institute is established by Act of Parliament, No. 23 of 1959 as the sole organisation in Sri Lanka with the right to award the Chartered Accountant designation...
and the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies. Justice Marsoof has been the Chairman of the Board of Examiners of the ICLP Arbitration Centre, the pioneer arbitration centre in Sri Lanka. He is currentaly an elected member of the Faculty Board of the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
, and a Member of the Board of Management of the Judges Institute of Sri Lanka.
Justice Marsoof has been a sought after speaker in Sri Lanka and abroad. He regularly addresses the International Symposium on Economic Crime organised by Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
and was invited to make the Dr. A. M. A. Azeez Memorial Oration in 2002. He also made a keynote address at the International Conference organized by the Kuala Lumpur Regional Arbitration Center in collaboration with UNCITRAL
UNCITRAL
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law was established by the United Nations General Assembly by its Resolution 2205 of 17 December 1966 "to promote the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law"....
to celebrate 30 years of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2006. He made the famous Inaugural K.C Kamalasabayson Memorial Oration in 2008 and the prestigious Inaugural Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Oration in 2009, and was invited by the Sri Lanka Malay Association to make the Dr. T.B.Jayah Memorial Oration in 2010.
Judiciary
In March 2004, Justice Marsoof was elevated to the judiciary in the capacity as the President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka. He delivered a large number of landmark judgments particularly on constitutional and administrative law issues during his very short stay at the helm of the Court of Appeal. In February 2005, he was promoted as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri LankaSupreme Court of Sri Lanka
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka is the highest court of the nation of Sri Lanka. The Supreme Court is the highest and final judicial instance of record and is empowered to exercise its powers, subject to the provisions of the Constitution. The Court has ultimate appellate jurisdiction in...
, which is the apex court of the country, which position he still holds. His dedication and erudition has enabled him to distinguishing himself as one of the most independent and respected judges of that Court.
Apart from his judicial work, Justice Marsoof has been involved in social mobility and law reform initiatives, and is currently the Chairman of the Committee appointed by the Government to suggest amendments to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act in force in Sri Lanka.