Appointed President’s Counsel
Viveka Siriwardena, Additional Solicitor General was appointed as President’s Counsel recently. Ms. Siriwardena is a senior legal counsel practicing in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka with over twenty six (26) years of experience in the Official Bar.
Having joined the Attorney General's Department in 1995 as a State Counsel, she was promoted as a Senior State Counsel in 2004. She was appointed a Deputy Solicitor General in 2014 and a Senior Deputy Solicitor General in 2020. Ms. Siriwardena has appeared in the original and appellate courts in civil and criminal litigation.
Ms Siriwardena has three (3) Master's Degrees in Law, Public Administration and International Relations respectively. Ms. Siriwardena obtained a First Class Honours at the Final Examination of the Sri Lanka Law College and a Second Class Lower Division Honours in the BSc. Degree at the University of Colombo. She was a member of the Swimming and Rowing teams of the University of Colombo and awarded University Colours in swimming.
Ms Siriwardena was the National Project Coordinator of the Equal Access to Justice Project of the UNDP executed through the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration.
She is a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow and a recipient of the American Association of University Women International Fellowship in recognition of the contribution towards empowerment of women and demonstrated leadership.
Ms Siriwardena has been a member of the Sri Lanka delegation to several international fora including the UN Human Rights Council, UNCITRAL working group sessions, ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event, African-Asian Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) Annual Sessions etc. She has participated in numerous bilateral discussions, conferences and training programs. She is a certified Adjudicator of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC). She also holds a Licentiate in Speech and Drama from Trinity College, London.
Ms Siriwardena has published articles on the Universal Periodic Review of the UN HRC, the contribution of the judiciary to good governance etc.
Ms Siriwardena was the Head Prefect of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo in 1988 and was awarded the ‘Best All-Round Student’ Shield.