The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka, commonly known as the Appeal Court, is the second most senior court in the Sri Lankan legal system, with only the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka above it. Established in 1971, under the Court of Appeal Act No. 44 of 1971, the Appeal Court has jurisdiction to hear appeals from the High Court or any lower court; its own decisions may be additionally appealed to the Supreme Court.
Localisation
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The Appeal Court is headed by the president of the Court of Appeal.
Size of court
The Court of Appeal consists of the president of the Court of Appeal and not fewer than six and not more than nineteen other judges, as stipulated in Article 137 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka. The court was expanded to its current size on 29 October 2020 through the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution. Previously, it comprised the president of the Court of Appeal and a maximum of eleven other judges.
Dress
Appeal Court judges wear dark purple gowns when attending court. On special ceremonial occasions (such as ceremonial sittings of the Appeal Court) they wear dark purple gowns, barrister's bands, mantle, and a long wig.
Judges of the Court
As of 15 April 2026, the most recent judges to join the court are Rohantha Abeysooriya, Francis Gunawardena and Adithya Patabendige, whose tenures commenced on 19 June 2025.
As of 10 December 2025