The senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, was sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Sri Lanka before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. He becomes the 49th Chief Justice of the country.
Justice Surasena’s appointment was approved by the Constitutional Council following the retirement of Chief Justice Murdu Nirupa Bindushini Fernando.
Justice Surasena, who took oaths as an attorney-at-law in 1989, began his legal career at the Attorney General’s Department, serving as a State Counsel. He was appointed a High Court Judge in 2007, a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2016, and later became President of the Court of Appeal in 2018. In 2019, he was appointed to the Supreme Court and has since served as its senior-most judge following the retirement of Chief Justice Fernando.
Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Meanwhile, Jayanga Thilakarathne has been removed from his post as Chairman of the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital. Thilakarathne, an Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, was simultaneously serving at the Dambulla Hospital and later at the Castle Street Women’s Hospital, despite holding the chairmanship. His dual roles and alleged engagement in private practice sparked opposition from the Government Medical Officers Association and the Specialist Doctors’ Association.
Sources revealed that his transfer to the Castle Street Women’s Hospital was politically influenced, bypassing a legitimate transfer to Dambulla Hospital. The Minister of Health’s intervention in the matter became a point of serious contention within the health sector.
Additionally, internal sources at Jayewardenepura Hospital claim that the institution suffered a significant administrative decline during Thilakarathne’s tenure, citing inefficiency and neglect. Due to mounting pressure and controversy, the Health Minister is reportedly working to replace him and is currently reviewing several candidates for the position.
