# Minister of Justice (Sri Lanka)

The Minister Justice, Public Administration, Provincial Councils, Local Government and Labour is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.
The constitution defines that it is mandatory for a minister of the cabinet to be styled as the Minister of Justice. From 1947 to 1970, per section 48 of the constitution, the Minister of Justice was one of two Ministers appointed from the Senate of Ceylon, as such appointments have been held by Advocates. It succeeded the office of Legal Secretary of Ceylon which existed from 1932 to 1947.

## List of Justice Ministers
### Parties

Sri Lanka Freedom Party  United National Party  Sri Lanka Muslim Congress  Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna  National People's Power
| Name | Name | Portrait | Party | Tenure | Head(s) of Government |
| | Sir Lalita Rajapaksa, QC | | United National Party | 26 September 1947 – 1953 | D. S. Senanayake Dudley Senanayake |
| | E. B. Wikramanayake, QC | | United National Party | 1953 – 1956 | John Kotelawala |
| | M. W. H. de Silva, QC | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1956 – June 1959 | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike |
| | Valentine S. Jayawickrema | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | June 1959 – 1960 | S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike |
| | Valentine S. Jayawickrema | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | June 1959 – 1960 | Wijeyananda Dahanayake |
| | E. J. Cooray | | United National Party | 23 March 1960 – 21 July 1960 | Dudley Senanayake |
| | Sam P. C. Fernando | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 July 1960 – March 1965 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
| | A. F. Wijemanne | | United National Party | March 1965 – 1970 | Dudley Senanayake |
| | Felix Dias Bandaranaike | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1970 – 1976 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
| | Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1976 – 1977 | Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
| | K. W. Devanayagam | | United National Party | 23 July 1977 – 14 February 1980 | J. R. Jayewardene |
| | Nissanka Wijeyeratne | | United National Party | 14 February 1980 – 1988 | J. R. Jayewardene |
| | Vincent Perera | | United National Party | 1989 – 1990 | Ranasinghe Premadasa |
| | Abdul Cader Shahul Hameed | | United National Party | 1990 – 1993 | Ranasinghe Premadasa |
| | Harold Herath | | United National Party | 1993 – 1994 | Dingiri Banda Wijetunga |
| | G. L. Peiris | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 1994 – 2001 | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| | W. J. M. Lokubandara | | United National Party | 2001 – 2004 | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| | John Seneviratne | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 2004 - 2006 | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| | Amarasiri Dodangoda | | | 2006 – 30 May 2009 | Chandrika Kumaratunga |
| | Amarasiri Dodangoda | | | 2006 – 30 May 2009 | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| | Milinda Moragoda | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 30 May 2009 – 23 April 2010 | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| | Athauda Seneviratne | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 23 April 2010 – 22 November 2010 | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| | Rauff Hakeem | | Sri Lanka Muslim Congress | 22 November 2010 – 28 December 2014 | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| | Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC | | United National Party | 12 January 2015 - 23 August 2017 | Maithripala Sirisena |
| | Thalatha Atukorale | | United National Party | 25 August 2017 - 22 November 2019 | Maithripala Sirisena |
| | Nimal Siripala de Silva | | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 November 2019 - 12 August 2020 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| | Ali Sabry, PC | | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna | 12 August 2020 - 3 April 2022 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Office Vacant | Office Vacant | Office Vacant | Office Vacant | 3 April 2022 - 26 April 2022 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| | Ali Sabry, PC | | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna | 26 April 2022 - 9 May 2022 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| | Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC | | Independent | 20 May 2022 - 29 July 2024 | Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| | Ali Sabry, PC | | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna | 12 August 2024 - 23 September 2024 | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| | Harini Amarasuriya | | National People's Power | 24 September 2024 – 18 November 2024 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
| | Harshana Nanayakkara | | National People's Power | 18 November 2024 – Present | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |