March 30, Colombo (LNW): Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya was officially sworn in as the 29th President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on Saturday (29), marking a significant milestone in his distinguished legal career.
His appointment follows his victory in the BASL election held on February 19, 2025, where he was elected to lead the country’s most influential legal body.
Amarasuriya, who previously served as the Secretary of BASL, brings extensive experience in appellate court practice, specialising in public law and a broad range of civil litigation areas, including contractual disputes, commercial law, property matters, taxation, and banking law. His expertise has earned him prominent roles in both state and private sector institutions.
He currently holds key positions, serving as a Board/Committee Member of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board and the Standing Committee of Legal Studies of the University Grants Commission.
Additionally, he is a Council Member of the University of Colombo and represents Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Legal Education Association.
His contributions to international legal forums extend to LAWASIA, where he serves on the Executive Committee.
Over the years, Amarasuriya has held several influential positions, including as a member of the Council of Legal Education of Sri Lanka, a former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Sri Lanka National Arbitration Centre.
He also played a key role as the Immediate Past President of the Alumni Association of the University of Colombo.
His academic credentials are equally impressive, holding a Law Degree from the University of Colombo while being an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
He is also a Fellow Member of both the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) UK and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka.
Furthering his leadership and policy expertise, he completed an Executive Education programme at the Harvard Kennedy School and was recognised as an AFGG – Raisina Fellow in April 2022.
Amarasuriya’s contributions to the legal and financial sectors have been widely recognised. He was awarded the CIMA Star Gold Award in 2013 as the most outstanding CIMA member under 40 and was later named a CIMA – LMD Trailblazer in 2021 for his exemplary leadership.
Further cementing his standing in Sri Lanka’s governance and regulatory landscape, he was appointed to the Governing Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on 31 January 2024.
