SRI LANKA LAW COLLEGE 

^{General Information Address : 244 Hulftsdorp Street, Colombo 12   P.O. Box Address. P.O. Box 1501, Colombo}

^{Telephone # 94-1-473119, 323759. Fax: 94-1-385847  E – mail : <locwal@slt.lk>
Principal : Dr. H. J. F. Silva
Office Manager :Mr. A. Ranasinghe    Librarian : Mr. W. D. Silva.  
Number of Students on Roll - Approx. 1,500}
 

* History of Legal Education
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* Council of Legal Education

* Admission to the Law College

* Curriculum

* Teaching staff

* Evaluations and examinations

* Law Students Union  and Societies

* Admission to the profession 

* Post Attorney Diploma courses

* Admission statistics

The Sri Lanka Law College functions under the Council of Legal Education to administer legal education to person who desire to be enrolled in the Bar of Sri Lanka. The Law College is the only Institution which offers a complete course of study leading to examinations for those desiring to qualify for admission to the profession.  As at today, while other Institutions (eg. University of Sri Lanka in Colombo and the Open University of Sri Lanka) offer academic courses leading to a degree or other academic qualification relating to law, persons become eligible to practice the law, only after admission to the profession as provided for in the Rules of the Council of Legal Education. Thus, the Law College is the only gateway to the legal profession in Sri Lanka. Members of the profession are called Attorneys-at-Law.

History of legal education

The history of  training for the legal profession in Sri Lanka goes as far back as 1833, the year in which the Supreme Court was empowered by section 17 of the Charter of 1833, to admit and enroll  as Advocates and Proctors, persons of good repute and of competent knowledge and ability upon examination by one or more of the judges of the Supreme Court. This was done in order to provide sufficient legal practitioners to work in the judicial system established by the British Colonial  administration.   There were no formal classes held to impart legal education at that time. The then system required that a period of apprenticeship be served under a practicing lawyer and the taking of certain examinations conducted by the Judges of the Supreme Court to satisfy the Judges that the apprentice had acquired sufficient legal knowledge to practice law. Consequently, the Law College was established to administer a formal course of study in preparation of persons for admission to the profession.

From the inception and up to 1973 the profession consisted of two branches – Advocates and Proctors. By the Administration of Justice Law No. 44 of 1973 which came into operation in January 1974 the two branches of the profession were fused and its members were called Attorneys-at-Law.

The Council of Legal Education

The Council of Legal Education (CLE) was established in 1873 and the Sri Lanka Law College was established under the CLE in 1874 in order to impart a formal legal education to those who wished to be lawyers.

Section 16 of the Courts Ordinance, 1889 empowered the Supreme Court, subject to the rules in the schedule thereto,  to “admit and enrol as advocates or proctors in the said court persons of good repute and of competent knowledge and ability.” The rules in the schedule provided for the establishment of the CLE, and its powers which were said to be “ to supervise and control the legal education of students desiring to qualify themselves as Advocates or Proctors.” The CLE was also vested with the power of appointing a Principal of the Law College and other staff for the College.

The Council of Legal Education Ordinance which was enacted in 1900 provided for the Incorporation of the Council which, in terms of section 2 thereof consisted of the Chief Justice, the Puisne Justices of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Solicitor General and the five Advocates, two Proctors of the Supreme Court and one Proctor of the District Court of Colombo and named therein.

The Council was empowered to make rules, inter-alia, to prescribe the course of studies and examinations to be observed by law students and the payments therefor. 

In 1974, the Ordinance was amended by Act No. 6 of 1974 to change the composition of the Council. The amendment provided for the Council to consist of the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and four nominees of the Minister of Justice. The amendment also provided for Rules of the Council to be made with the concurrence of the Minister in charge of the subject of Justice. Thus, state involvement in the Institution was introduced for the first time.

By the Council of Legal Education (Amendment) Act No. 33 OF 1993 , the composition of the Council was once again changed. The constitution  of the Council now consists of the Chief Justice as its Chairman ; the Attorney General, the Secretary to the Minister in charge of the subject of Justice and the Solicitor General (as ex-officio members) ; two Judges of the Supreme Court nominated by the Chief Justice ; two members nominated by the Bar Association ; six other members appointed by the Minister of Justice from among persons of standing in the legal profession or persons who hold or have held judicial office or who are or have been engaged in the teaching of law or legal research or who have secured academic distinction in law or made contributions to legal knowledge.

The present composition of the Council and the current incumbents are as follows -

Ex-officio members –

            Hon. Sarath N. Silva, P.C., Chief Justice  (Chairman)

            Hon. K.C. Kamalasabayson, P.C., Attorney-General

            Mrs. Dhara S. Wijayatilake, Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Law Reform and National 

               Integration             
            Mr. C.R. De Silva, P.C., Solicitor-General

Two Judges of the Supreme Court, nominated by the Chief Justice –

            Hon. Justice P. Edussuriya

            -vacant-

Six members appointed by the Minister of Justice –

            Hon. Justice Dr. Shirani A. Bandaranayake

            Hon. Justice Ameer Ismail

            Hon. Justice C.V. Wigneswaran

            -vacant-

            -vacant-

            -vacant-

Two members nominated by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka –

            Mr. Ananda Wijesekera P.C.

            Mr. Kalinga Indatissa

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Admissions  

• Admission consequent to entrance examination
• Admission of Law graduates of Sri Lankan and foreign Universities
• Admission of members of the legal profession of commonwealth countries

Admission consequent to entrance examination

The CLE conducts an entrance examination each year for eligible persons, for selection of students to the limited number of places in the Law College. The examination consists of a written test of 2 hours duration, titled "Background to the Law."

The syllabus for the test consists of:

(a)        Nature of Law - role and function of law in society;

(b)        Sources of Law - evolution of the Legal system of Sri Lanka;

(c)        Constitution - a general knowledge of the main features of the

  Constitution of the Democratic socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the powers

  and of the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary;

(d)       Current Socio-legal Issues - including functions, training and skills

  required of a lawyer.

The Brochure, the Application Form and the Course Book may be obtained from the College on payment of the requisite fee during the times specified in the Press advertisement announcing the acceptance of applications for the Entrance Examination, which is usually published in March/April of each year.

The Law College does not offer any courses to prepare students for the Entrance Examination.

Eligibility to sit the entrance examination –

Persons possessing the following qualifications are eligible to apply -

   (a)   (i) Passes in three subjects* at one and the same Sri Lanka General

            Certificate of Education (A/L) Examination under the new scheme, held in   
            2000 or thereafter ; 

                                   OR

          (ii) Passes in four subjects* at one and the same Sri Lanka General

            Certificate of Education (A/L) Examination under the old scheme;
                                          AND

   (b)  Credit passes in English Language and either Sinhala or Tamil Language at the

       G.C.E. (O/L) or N.C.G.E. Examination.

    [*the subjects should be those approved by the Council of Legal Education]

The following are eligible to be admitted to the Law College without sitting the entrance examination, provided they posses credit passes in English and Sinhala or Tamil at the GCE Ordinary Level examination or its equivalent. –

a)  A graduate in Laws (L.L.B) of either the University of Colombo or the Open University 
 of Sri Lanka ;

b)  A graduate in Laws of a University recognised by the Council of Legal Education, in the United Kingdom or Canada or Australia or the United States of America, or  any other country, provided that the degree is recognized as an entry qualification for  a course of professional studies for admission to the Bar in the country in which such degree was obtained. These students are required to take all three examinations, the practical training course and serve the period of apprenticeship.

Admission of members of the legal profession of Commonwealth Countries

      A person who has been duly enrolled and admitted to the legal profession in a  country in the Commonwealth (except Barristers of Scotland, England and Wales) is exempted from the entrance examination. These persons are required to take all three examinations, the practical training course and serve the period of apprenticeship.

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The Curriculum

The Attorneys- at- Law course consists of 3 years of lectures for those who gain admission at the entrance examination. All students are also required to follow a practical training course and serve a period of apprenticeship prior to applying for admission to the Bar. Prescribed courses are required to be taken in the first, second and third years.

Law graduates are entitled to certain exemptions.

First Year

Legal systems and History of Sri Lanka, including Roman Law

Criminal Law

Law of Persons

Law of Trusts and Equity

Industrial Law

Law of Obligations (Contract)

Interpretation of Statutes and Documents

Second Year

Law of Property (2 papers)

Law of Obligations (Delicts)

Jurisprudence

Constitutional Law

Administrative Law

International Law or Tax Law or Intellectual Property Law or Environmental Law

Third Year

Commercial law (2 papers)

Civil Procedure and Pleadings (2 papers)

Law of Evidence

Criminal Procedure

Conveyancing

Trust Accounts and Book keeping

Professional Ethics

Practical training course –

Students who pass the final examination are required to follow a practical training course conducted by the Law College. The practical training is intended to impart certain skills that a practicing lawyer is required to possess. It involves taking part in mock trials and moots, drafting pleadings, taking part in legal aid work and participation in workshops on subjects such as pleadings, negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Apprenticeship –

Students who pass the final examination are required to undergo an apprenticeship period of six months under a lawyer of at least 8 years standing.

Exemptions

A graduate in Laws (LL.B.) of the University of Colombo or the Open   

University of Sri Lanka , is exempted from the following –

·         the subjects for the Preliminary and the Intermediate Examinations provided the student has passed in those subjects at the LL.B examination ;

^·          attendance at lectures .

These students are required only to take the final examination at the Law College and attend the practical training course and serve the period of apprenticeship.

 The Barristers of Scotland, England and Wales are required to take only Civil Procedure & Pleadings I & II, Law of Property I & II, Tax Law, Industrial Law and Commercial Law 1. They will  also be required to attend the practical training course and serve the period of apprenticeship except in the case of those who have served a period of pupilage in the United Kingdom.

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Teaching staff

The teaching staff of the College consists mainly of visiting lecturers the majority of whom are practitioners.

Permanent Lecturers:       Mr. W.D.Rodrigo

                                    Mrs. K.Nagendra

                                    Mrs. A.Ekanayake

Visiting Lecturers:        

Mr. S.Marsoof, P.C. , Mr. S.Egalahewa,       Ms. D.V.V.S.Fernando

Dr. J. Ilangasinghe ,  Dr. D.M.Karunaratne , Mr. A.Gnanathasan

Mr. S.P.Fernando , Mr. S.Sinnathamby , Mr. A.H.G. Ameen

Mr. J.M.Swaminathan ,      Mrs. F.R.C.Thalayasingham

Ms. M.W.Padmaraji ,Mr. R.Sivagurunathan, Fr. Noel Dias

Mr. G.Piyadasa, Dr. J.De Almeida Gunaratne, Mr. S. Suresh Chandra ,

Mr. V.Puvitharan, Mrs. P.I.Samarasinghe, Mrs. S.H.M.Fernando,

Mr. A.B.W.Jayasekera, Mr. K.N.Indatissa, Mr. H.W.Premaratne,

Mr. K.Kanapathipillai, Mr. A.L.B. BritoMutunayagam

Mr. Hemantha Gamage ( Practical training Co-ordinator)

Evaluations & Examinations  

The performance of students are regularly assessed through written assignments periodically given to the students as tutorials. The written work is assessed by the tutors and graded. The writing of tutorials is compulsory.

Students are eligible to take examinations on the completion of each year of course work, i.e. at the end of the first , second and final years. Examinations are held in April and October each year.  To pass an examination a student is required to obtain a minimum mark of 50% of the aggregate and above 40% in each subject. Students who score 60% or above in the aggregate are awarded honours passes.

Law Students Union  and Societies

The College has a student’s Union (the Law Students Union) and several other special interest Societies - Law Students Sinhala Union, Tamil Mantram, Human Rights Movement, Moot Society, Art Circle, Buddhist Brotherhood, Hindu Maha Sabha, Muslim Majlis and Christian Students fellowship. 

Admission to the profession

Section 40 of the Judicature Act, no. 2 of 1978 provides for the Supreme Court to admit and enroll as Attorneys-at-Law, persons of good repute and of competent knowledge and ability, in accordance with Part VII of the Rules of the Supreme Court Rules, 1978 published in the  Government Gazette No. 9/10 of November 08, 1978.

Section 41 of the Judicature Act provides that every Attorney-at-Law shall be entitled to assist and advise clients and to appear, plead or act in every court or other institution established by law for the administration of justice.

Post Attorney Diploma Courses 

The following Diploma courses are available for those who have been enrolled as Attorneys at Law –

• A one year course on Intellectual Property Law (conducted in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Legal Institute, in Washington DC, U.S.A)
• A one year course in International Trade Law (conducted under the direction of two expatriate law professors)

These Diploma courses are of one years duration and open to Attorneys at Law.  

  
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Admissions to Law College and to the Profession