Sunday Nov 24, 2024
Sunday Nov 24, 2024
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Samantha de Soysa, Attorney-at-Law, was presented with the Lex Falcon Award for her advocacy and interest in Data Protection and Technology Law, at the LexTalk World Conference held in Dubai, UAE from 24-25 March.
She was recognised for her impact on the legal industry, with the award being presented for “great knowledge, reach, innovative ideas, suggestions, futuristic spirit and approach.”
The awardees were from the region, and the countries represented ranged from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.
As a lawyer, De Soysa is unequivocal about the fact that “Sri Lanka, as a nation, needs to understand the importance of data protection, not merely as a law to be adhered to, but more so as a common practice to be embraced.”
She went on to state that the lack of awareness and knowledge of the importance of having comprehensive privacy laws is detrimental on a personal and national scale. With Sri Lanka moving forward rapidly in the ICT industry, de Soysa is a voice to heed in the data protection space. She believes that the Data Protection Act that was passed in March is thorough and has been unfairly criticised.
De Soysa is a Senior Practitioner of law in Sri Lanka. She holds an LL. B degree with Honours from the University of Warwick (UK), Barristers from Lincoln’s Inn (London), and has completed her Masters in Law (LL.M) with a Merit in Banking and Finance Law from the Queen Mary University of London.
Her specialisation is in Commercial, Company, Conveyancing, and Technology Law. She has been an Examiner at Sri Lanka Law College and is currently a panelist lawyer at the Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka.
She was the Captain and Head of School at Colombo International School in 1998/99 and prior to that she attended Bishop’s College, Colombo.
De Soysa has been featured as a Guest Columnist in the Daily FT newspaper, where she has written on topics ranging from data protection and electronic contracts to money laundering. She has been a strong advocate of data protection and privacy and is a powerful voice in the local community on the importance of having comprehensive privacy laws.
She has participated numerous times as a conference speaker on the topic of Privacy and Data Protection. In the recent past, she was a participant in the National Inauguration Legal Symposium on Data Protection organized by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) held in January.
She currently serves as a Delegate of the BASL and as the Assistant Treasurer of the Association of Corporate Lawyers (ACL). She is the pioneer partner of the law firm Barnes Law Chambers.
She also teaches French part-time to students of all ages as a hobby. In her free time, she offers pro bono legal advice to the economically marginalized who cannot afford high-end legal services.
