President’s Counsel Anura Meddegoda has been appointed as the new President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), following the resignation of President’s Counsel Kaushalya Nawaratne on September 13. The position had remained vacant after the BASL Bar Council unanimously called for Nawaratne’s resignation on August 31, amid allegations related to a BASL project funded by JICA, aimed at promoting a transparent and competitive business climate (Anti-Corruption) in Sri Lanka.
Meddegoda, a President’s Counsel since 2017, brings over 40 years of legal experience to the role. He previously served in the Attorney General’s Department as Senior State Counsel for nearly two decades before joining the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague as a Legal Adviser, where he served for 10 years.
President’s Counsel Razik Zarook has been appointed as Deputy President of the BASL. Zarook, a senior Attorney-at-Law, is the former Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. His distinguished career includes chairing several public corporations, such as the Bank of Ceylon, the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment, and the National Aquatic Research and Development Authority (NARA). Additionally, Zarook served as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Singapore and as an ambassador to both the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Hungary.
