Colombo, 1 November 2026
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) mourns the passing of Lal Wijenayake, senior attorney-at-law and one of the foremost figures of Sri Lanka’s Left.
Educated at Dharmaraja College, the University of Ceylon, and Ceylon Law College, Mr Wijenayake devoted more than half a century to political and civil society activism, as well as serving in elected office for a time as the Leader of the Opposition in the Central Provincial Council. Throughout that time, he earned a reputation for fearless integrity and steadfast commitment to principle, particularly in the defence of human rights, the rule of law, and Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious pluralism.
He chaired the Public Representation Committee (PRC) during the early years of the Yahapalanaya government and, more recently, served as a member of the Executive Committee of the National People’s Power (NPP). Whatever the role, and whatever the political moment, Mr Wijenayake remained resolutely independent in judgement and unwavering in his convictions.
Most recently, he spoke out courageously against the NPP government’s Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution and the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, citing the serious concerns they raised for judicial independence, human rights, and the rule of law.
Mr Wijenayake’s voice, distinguished by integrity, wisdom, and principle, will be deeply missed. At a time when Sri Lanka continues to grapple with the challenge of securing accountability while preserving constitutional government and the rule of law, his was a rare moral and intellectual compass whose absence will be keenly felt.