Kulatunga Mudiyanselage Gihan Himanshu Kulatunga is a Sri Lankan lawyer serving since 10 December 2025 as a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. He was appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.[1][2]
Gihan Kulatunga | |
|---|---|
| Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2025 | |
| Appointed by | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
| Judge of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 6 September 2024 – 10 December 2025 | |
| Appointed by | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| Judge of the High Court of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 2012 – 6 September 2024 | |
| Appointed by | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kulatunga Mudiyanselage Gihan Himanshu Kulatunga |
| Parent |
|
| Education | |
| S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia | |
He previously served as judge of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka.[3][4]
Early life
editKulatunga is an alumnus of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia.[5] He graduated from Sri Lanka Law College and the University of Colombo.[6] His father, K. M. M. B. Kulatunga, was a former Solicitor General and a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.[4][7][8]
Career
editKulatunga joined the Attorney General's Department in 1994 and served until 2012, when he was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Sri Lanka by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has also served as a pusine judge in Fiji.[6][9]
He was nominated as judge of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka by then-Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya[10] and was appointed on 6 September 2024 by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.[11][12][3][4]
In October 2025, Chief Justice Padman Surasena recommended Kulatunga for appointment as a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The recommendation was forwarded to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who submitted it to the Constitutional Council (CC) for approval.[13] The Constitutional Council approved the recommendation in December 2025.[14]
On 10 December 2025, Kulatunga was appointed to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka as a puisne justice by President Dissanayake.[1][2]
Commission assignments
editOn 17 April 2026, President Dissanayake appointed a three-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry, chaired by Kulatunga, to investigate coal purchases for electricity generation from the inception of coal-based power in Sri Lanka until 16 April 2026. Adithya Patabendige, judge of the Court of Appeal, and Sanjeewa Somarathna, judge of the High Court, are the other members of the commission.[15][16][17][18]
References
edit- 1 2 "New Supreme Court Justice Sworn In Before the President". President's Office. 10 December 2025. Archived from the original on 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- 1 2 "Gihan Kulatunga sworn in as Supreme Court Judge". Ada Derana. 10 December 2025. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- 1 2 "President appoints new judges to Court of Appeal". www.adaderana.lk. 6 September 2024. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Newly Appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal". thecourtreporter.lk. 9 October 2024. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ↑ "Two Thomians appointed to Court of Appeal". www.stcmloba.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- 1 2 Chand, Raynav (9 February 2022). "Justice Kulatunga sworn-in as Puisne Judge". www.fijivillage.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ↑ "In Memory of Justice Kulatunga". www.srilankaguardian.org. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ↑ Kulatunga, K. M. M. B. (1997). A Legal Analysis of the Government Proposals for Constitutional Reforms: An Alternative Solution to the Current Disorder in Sri Lanka. Lakderana Printers and Publishers.
- ↑ Tava, Tim; Bagshaw, Eryk (12 August 2022). "Man sentenced to life in Fiji prison for murdering Australian UN aid worker wife". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 30 March 2025. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
- ↑ Padmasiri, Ranjith (12 November 2023). "Two vacancies in Court of Appeal: Three nominations to President". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 1 December 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ↑ Padmasiri, Ranjith (1 September 2024). "President proposes four names to fill CA vacancies". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ↑ "CC approves four nominees for CA vacancies". Times Online. 4 September 2024. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ↑ Padmasiri, Ranjith (26 October 2025). "CJ recommends CA Justice Gihan Kulatunga to fill remaining vacancy in SC". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 28 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ Padmasiri, Ranjith (7 December 2025). "Justice Kulatunga to join SC bench". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ↑ "The Gazette Extraordinary No. 2484/08, Friday, 17 April 2026: Proclamations & C., by the President" (PDF). Department of Government Printing. 17 April 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ "President appoints commission to probe alleged irregularities in Lanka Coal Company". Ada Derana. 17 April 2026. Archived from the original on 17 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ↑ Farzan, Zulfick (17 April 2026). "Special PCOI With Full Powers To All Probe Coal Transactions". Newsfirst. Archived from the original on 18 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ↑ "Sri Lanka's Energy Minister resigns on coal import issue days after surviving no trust motion". The Hindu. 17 April 2026. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 17 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
Further reading
edit- Padmasiri, Ranjith (29 September 2024). "Judges should prevent their decisions being influenced by prejudices: CA judge". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
