Sithambarampillai Thurairaja, PC (Tamil: சிதம்பரப்பிள்ளை துரைராஜா, romanized: Citamparappiḷḷai Turairājā) is a Sri Lankan lawyer and a sitting puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. He was formerly a justice of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka and High Court of Fiji.
S. Thurairaja | |
|---|---|
எஸ். துரைராஜா | |
| Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka | |
| Assumed office 9 January 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Maithripala Sirisena |
| Preceded by | K. T. Chitrasiri |
| Justice of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 15 September 2016 – 9 January 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sithambarampillai Thurairaja Central Province, Sri Lanka |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Early life
editThurairaja was educated at Saraswathy Maha Vidyalayam in Pussellawa and St. Anthony's College, Kandy.[1][2] He has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Colombo and a Master of Laws degree from the University of London.[3] He also holds diplomas in forensic medicine, business information technology and computer appliances.[3]
Career
editThurairaja qualified as an attorney-at-law in 1988 and joined the Attorney General's Department in 1989.[4] He rose up the ranks to become Senior State Counsel, Deputy Solicitor General and Additional Solicitor General.[5][6][7] He was a high court judge in Fiji.[8][9] He was appointed President's Counsel in 2016.[4]
Thurairaja was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka in September 2016, becoming the first Indian Tamil to be appointed to the court.[2][4] In October 2018 the Constitutional Council recommended that Thurairaja be appointed to the Supreme Court.[10] President Maithripala Sirisena refused to follow the recommendation and suggested alternative names but in January 2019 the Constitutional Council reconfirmed its recommendation of Thurairaja.[11][12] He was sworn in as a justice of the Supreme Court on 9 January 2019.[13][14]