The Constitutional Council has unanimously approved Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya as the new Chief Justice. 

Jayasuriya was nominated by the President for the post following the retirement of former Chief Justice Nalin Jayalath Perera. 

Jayasuriya was appointed to the Attorney General's position by the current government.

Having completed his education at Maliyadewa College, Kurunegala (1965-1977), he entered the Sri Lanka Law College in 1979 and passed the final examination with honours in 1981.

He did his apprenticeship in the Chambers of Ariya Rekawa Attorney-at-Law and joined the Chambers of Daya Perera, President's Counsel and C.Vicknarajah Attorney-at-Law after taking oaths in 1982.

Jayasuriya joined the Attorney-General's Department in November 1983 and was promoted a Senior State Counsel in 1996. He was appointed as Deputy Solicitor-General in 2004 and promoted as an Additional Solicitor-General in 2011. He is also a Commonwealth Scholar and has pursued post-graduate studies at the University of Hong Kong. He was awarded with the Degree of MPhil for the thesis submitted on "The Right to a Fair Trial".