Key Skills and Expertise

Bringing over 47 years of experience in legal practice, the expert specializes in human rights, international law, and constitutional law. Career highlights include leading projects on law reform and capacity building, advising governments, and serving as a Member of Parliament. Notable achievements encompass drafting the Right to Information Act and enhancing legal sector capacity through interactive teaching methods and training programs.

Project Experience and Donor Exposure

Worked across diverse projects involving international donors such as UNDP, UNODC, EU, SIDA, and GIZ. Responsibilities have included providing technical assistance, capacity building, and evaluations in thematic areas like governance, human rights, and legal reform. These projects have been implemented on both national and regional scales in countries such as Sri Lanka, Lao PDR, and Papua New Guinea.

Sectors and Geographic Focus

With a background in human rights, justice reform, and law, the expert has held roles such as Attorney-at-Law, President’s Counsel, and Member of Parliament. Their interdisciplinary expertise includes legal reform, constitutional law, and capacity building, with a geographic focus on Sri Lanka, Lao PDR, and Papua New Guinea. Extensive geographic experience also includes work in Switzerland, with deep familiarity with local governance and cultural dynamics, particularly in Sri Lanka and Lao PDR.

Languages and Education

Fluent in English and a native speaker of Sinhala, the expert has utilized these language skills extensively in international legal and human rights projects, working in multilingual teams and conducting workshops and consultations in various countries. Additionally, they possess basic proficiency in Tamil. The expert holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Constitutional Law from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and another Ph.D. in Fundamental Rights from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. They also obtained a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a Merit Pass, specializing in Development Administration, from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, and completed the Final Examination for Attorneys-at-Law with First Class Honours at Sri Lanka Law College.