Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, MP, PC (born 16 March 1959) is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He is the Minister of Justice, Buddasasana and a Member of Parliament for the Colombo District. Rajapakshe had served as Minister of State Banking Development from 2005 to 2006.He was the Prime Minister's nominee for the Constitutional Council (Sri Lanka) [1]
Early life and career outside Parliament
Rajapakshe hails from a family in Walasmulla, Hambantota District. He commenced his career as a Banker and resigned after a period of 5 years to enter the legal profession. He holds a degree of Law from the University of Colombo and has been practicing in the field of law since 1984. He won the award of the Outstanding Young Person (TOYP) in the field of legal affairs in 1998 and was appointed as a President's Counsel in 2001. He had been an examiner in the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo.
While engaged in legal practice he has held a series of responsible public offices such as Chairman of the Rent Board of Review, Chairman of Sri Lanka Press Council, Vice President of the World Association of Press Council, Director National Film Corporation, Director Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Managing Director Associated Newspaper Ceylon (Lake House), Panel Chairman, to inquire into the allegations of misconduct against Attorneys-at-Law, Chairman of Disciplinary Committee, to inquire into the charges of doping, against Athletes.
Political career
In May 2004 he was appointed as a Member of Parliament to represent the ruling Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and was offered the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs which was refused by him. Later he continued as the only Member of Parliament on the government side, without holding any portfolio. Following the 2005 presidential elections, President Mahinda Rajapaksa appoint him the Minister of State Banking Development in November 2005, but he resigned in April 2006 on a matter of policy. He also resigned from the post of the SLFP Organizer of the Maharagama electorate. Then he was elected the Chairman of COPE in July 2006 and presented the first report in January 2007, which led to serious controversies both local and overseas. He was recognized as a crusader who fought against corruption in the public sector, regardless of stature and the might of the politicians and the officials involved in such corruption. His dedication to combat corruption and establish good governance was highly recognized by all patriotic segments in the country, and he was bestowed with the most prestigious award titled Sri Lankan of the year 2007 by LMD media services.[2]
In 2010, he was elected to Parliament from the Colombo District. In 2012, he was elected President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. During his tenure he led the Bar Association in support former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake during her impeachment. Following the 2015 presidential election he was appointed Minister of Justice.
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Sri Lankan