Lawyers seeking appointment as President’s Counsel will now need at least 20 years of professional experience after the Government revised the eligibility criteria governing the prestigious legal designation.
The new requirement was introduced through Gazette Extraordinary No. 2498/76, issued on July 24, 2026, under the direction of the President in terms of Article 33(e) of the Constitution. The amendment repeals and replaces Guideline No. 4 of the existing guidelines published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2255/24 on November 24, 2021.
Under the revised guideline, an Attorney-at-Law must have been enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court for a minimum of 20 years before becoming eligible for appointment as a President’s Counsel.
Applications Open Dates:
The Gazette notification inviting applications for the appointment of President’s Counsel for 2026 has also been published.
Eligible Attorneys-at-Law may submit their applications on or before 31 August 2026 for consideration.
The Gazette was issued by the Presidential Secretariat and signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr. N. S. Kumanayake, on July 24, 2026.
Gazette can be read here: https://documents.gov.lk/view/egz/2026/7/2498-76_E.pdf
Last modified: July 25, 2026
