“Nurturing legal experts in Sri Lanka is a source of strength for the nation”

Attorneys, upon qualification, do not draw upon government resources because they do not emerge from the realm of free education in Sri Lanka. Attorneys are self-employees. Legal professionals are not a burden for the country, but a strength, Dr. Janagan Vinayagamoorthy, Chairman of IDMNC International.

He was speaking at the 2023 Graduation Ceremony at the BMICH recently, in the presence of Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda.

Dr. Vinayagamoorthy stated that education policies worldwide should serve as a means for individuals to leverage their acquired knowledge and skills in pursuit of their desired careers. Such educational policies, when implemented effectively, contribute greatly to the holistic development of human resources within a country. Conversely, any educational policies that deviate from this principle would be biased and contradict the fundamental rights of equal opportunities.

He further said: “When it comes to medical education, our country has a limited number of medical colleges. This means that only those who have excelled in the competitive examination at the Advanced Level can secure admission to these prestigious institutions. However, our medical education policies have taken into account the aspirations of students who wish to enter the medical field through other means. The Sri Lanka Medical Council has recognised certain medical colleges abroad for such students.

“Those who have completed their medical studies in these recognised institutions and have successfully passed the required examinations can join the medical profession in Sri Lanka by undertaking the Medical Act 16 exam. This demonstrates that our medical education policies aim to provide alternative pathways for students, ensuring equal opportunities for all.

“In a similar vein, it is worth noting that the policy governing legal education in Sri Lanka has consistently upheld the provision of an alternative pathway for students. Due to resource constraints within Sri Lanka’s Law Colleges, only a limited number of students are admitted each year through the entrance examination. However, it is important to highlight that the legal education policy in Sri Lanka has not overlooked the opportunity for other students who aspire to pursue a career in the legal field. Indeed, students who have studied law in Government universities have the option to successfully complete the third-year examination at the Law College and thereby gain entry into the legal profession. Just like the Sri Lanka Medical Council, the legal education council has duly recognized a number of foreign universities. Graduates from these universities who hold a law degree can directly enter the legal profession by passing the three-year examinations at the Sri Lanka Law College consecutively.

“However, in the recent announcement of the Gazette, students who have completed three years of education in foreign universities recognised by the Sri Lanka Legal Education Council must sit again for a special entrance exam. Moreover, only the students who are selected on the basis of cutoff can sit for the examinations of the Sri Lanka Law College for three years.

“Due to a lack of physical resources for teaching at the Law College, a limited number of students can be admitted on the basis of cutoff based on the entrance exam. The left-out students from this cutoff-based entrance exams spent money and time studying law in foreign universities recognised by the Sri Lankan Legal Education Council.

“Why is such an obstacle imposed solely on these students who are already paying high fees for the Law College exams? None of them are granted direct entry into the legal profession. Each one of them must successfully clear the three-year Law College exams, one after the other. Every year, these exams serve as an entrance exam for them because one cannot proceed to the next year’s exam without completing the previous year’s exam. Given this situation, why is there an additional special entrance exam for all of them?

“Instead of subjecting students who have studied law in foreign universities recognized by the Legal Council to a separate entrance exam with a cutoff, we could standardize the three-year exams at the Law College, which everyone takes. This approach would not harm anyone, yet the top performers would have the opportunity to enter the Sri Lankan legal field.

“As doctors are Government employees, an increase in their numbers is likely to place additional strain on both our workforce and finances. Despite this, our priority remains on meeting the healthcare demands of our citizens.

“However, when an attorney is formed, the above human resource or financial problem will not occur to the Government. Attorneys, upon qualification, do not draw upon Government resources because they do not emerge from the realm of free education in Sri Lanka. This is a critical point that emphasizes the self-sufficiency of legal professionals. Actually, attorneys are self-employees. Therefore, the legal professionals are not a burden for the country. Instead, they are the strength of the country.

“To effectively address the prevailing financial challenges confronting our nation, highly skilled individuals should be deployed as valuable human resources on a global scale. By producing proficient lawyers we can make a contribution to the ever-growing global demand for legal expertise and increase the influx of foreign remittances.

“If we were to observe this matter from a holistic viewpoint, we would conclude that standardising the three-year examination of Sri Lanka Law College would be sufficient, eliminating the need for this special entrance exam.”

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