Hemantha Warnakulasuriya

His Excellency Hemantha Warnakulasuriya PC
Ambassador to Italy
Incumbent
Assumed office 2006
Personal details
Nationality	Sri Lankan

Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, PC is a Sri Lankan lawyer and diplomat. He was the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Italy.^[1]

Early life and education

Born to W. P. Arnolis Appu of Tangalle, Hemantha, a businessman who owned a large transport business, Warnakulasuriya was educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo where he launched a handwritten newspaper titled Hela Bima. His classmates at the time was Indika Gunawardena. He took over his father's business after his death, becoming the President of All Ceylon Lorry Owners Association at the age of 19. During this time he became a patron of the arts and produced several drama productions and a Sinhala film.

He thereafter entered the Colombo Law College and set up Law Students Trust to help needy students.

Legal career

He took oaths as an attorney at law in 1972 and began his practice at the Colombo Magistrate's courts. Where he became the Secretary of the New Courts Law Chambers (now known as the Colombo Magistrate's Court Lawyers Association) He was appointed convener of the 'Professional Affairs Committee', which drafted the "Code of Conduct and Etiquette for Attorneys-at-Law'.

In 1989 he was elected the Secretary of the Bar Association and served as chairman of the Legal Aid Commission for ten years before been elected as Deputy President of Bar Association.

He is noted as one of the leading criminal lawyers in the country and taken up many notable cases at the Magistrate's Court of Colombo. In 2006 he was appointed as a President's Counsel.

The same year he was appointed as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Italy.

See also

• Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats

References

External links

• 'Criminal' equalled to 'Cicero' turns President's Counsel