A. Gnanathasan

Aiyathurai Gnanathasan is a leading Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, President's Counsel and Additional Solicitor General.

Early life and family Gnanathasan was born in Chavakachcheri in northern Ceylon. He is the son of V. N. Aiyathurai, Deputy Principal of Drieberg College, and P. Aiyathurai, a teacher at Drieberg College.

Gnanathasan was a visiting lecturer in criminal law at the Sri Lanka Law College between 1995 and 2007 and served as chairman of the Board of Examiners (Preliminary) at the college. He completed the Master of Laws degree from the University of the West Indies in 1998 after receiving a Commonwealth Scholarship. He has been a visiting lecturer and examiner at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo since 2003. He was appointed President's Counsel on 9 March 2009.

Gnanathasan joined the Board of Directors of Jaffna College in 2000 and served as its chairman between 2002 and 2006. He has been vice-chairman of Jaffna College Old Boys’ Association (Colombo Branch) since 2000 and he was vice-president of the Hartley College Past Pupils’ Association between 1999 and 2007.