The Constitutional Council has approved Justice Murdu Fernando’s appointment as Chief Justice, making her the second woman in Sri Lankan history to hold the position after Shirani Bandaranayake in 2011.

Justice Fernando, who took oath as Acting Chief Justice on 10 October 2024 before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, brings over 30 years of experience in the Attorney General’s Department, rising to the ranks of senior state counsel and senior additional solicitor general.

Appointed as a Supreme Court Justice in 2018, she also holds the title of President’s Counsel.