University Grants Commission establishes Standing Committee on Legal Studies

By a Special Correspondent

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the highest body established by Parliament which regulates and facilitates the State Universities and higher educational system in Sri Lanka. 

Currently there are about 16 State Universities and about 18 Institutions and Postgraduate Institutes that come under the UGC. Thus, the UGC is the governing body for about 34 such Institutions.

To advise it of the many issues that arise in the University system from 1979 when the UGC was established by an Act of Parliament. UGC has established about 20 Standing Committees to advise the UGC on the subject matters covering the Standing Committees. The Standing Committees and the subjects covered by them are seen in the table.

In 2016 the UGC set up a Standing Committee on Legal Studies. It was felt necessary to do so because up to that time Law and Legal Studies was included under the Standing Committee on Humanities and Social Sciences. It was felt that Law and Legal studies should have a separate Standing Committee and accordingly this Standing Committee was established. 

All UGC Standing Committees are chaired by a Board Member of the UGC. The Standing Committee on Legal Studies is chaired by UGC Board Member Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria, Attorney at Law. Included in this Standing Committee are the heads of all faculties and departments that teach Law subjects and enable Law graduates to pass out from Universities such as the faculty of Law, University of Colombo and Department of Law at Peradeniya, Open University, Jaffna University and Kotalawela Defence University. 

Apart from the above membership, eminent lawyers have been included as Members of this Standing Committee. Currently Dr. Harsha Cabral, President’s Counsel, Mr. Geoffrey Alagaratnam, President’s Counsel and President of the Bar Association Dr. J M Swaminathan, Senior Partner, Julius & Creasy and Dr. Deepika Udagama, Chairman of the Human Rights Commission are members of this Standing Committee.

Also included is the Principal of Law College, because most Law graduates wish to enrol as Attorneys at law and have to do the examination conducted by the Law College.

The Standing Committee on Legal Studies meets about three times of the year at the UGC Board room. Members of the Legal profession and any other interested parties can submit any views or suggestions for consideration by the Standing Committee which reports to the main UGC Commission.