Biography.guide
Home › People › Lawyer › Neville Samarakoon
Portrait of Neville Samarakoon

Neville Samarakoon

1919 – 1990

Sri Lankan lawyer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Neville Samarakoon

Lived 1919 – 1990 (aged 70–71). Neville Samarakoon was a Sri Lankan lawyer and judge.

Neville Dunbar Mirahawatte Samarakoon, Q.C. (22 October 1919 – 1990) was a Sri Lankan lawyer, who served as the 36th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1984. His father was A. C. W. Samarakoon and his mother was Chandrawathi Mirahawatte Kumarihamy.

He was educated at Trinity College, Kandy, then at University College, Colombo and the Law College, Colombo. He began work as an advocate in 1945, and worked as a Crown Counsel from 1948 to ?195, when he returned to private work. He was made Queen's Counsel in 1968. From 1964 to 1977 he was a member of the Bar Council, and sat on the Disciplinary Board for Lawyers from 1971 to 1974, then again in 1976 and 1977.

He was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in 1977, a post he would hold until retiring in 1984. He was succeeded by Suppiah Sharvananda.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Died
1990
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Ceylon University College, Sri Lanka Law College, Trinity College, Kandy, University College, Colombo
Also known as
Neville Dunbar Mirahawatte Samarakoon

Family & relationships

Spouse
Née

People in Neville Samarakoon's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Neville Samarakoon's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Neville Samarakoon?

Sri Lankan lawyer (1919–1990)

When was Neville Samarakoon born?

Neville Samarakoon was born on 22 October 1919.

When did Neville Samarakoon die?

Neville Samarakoon died in 1990.

What was Neville Samarakoon's occupation?

Neville Samarakoon was a lawyer and judge.

What nationality was Neville Samarakoon?

Neville Samarakoon was Sri Lankan.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Neville Samarakoon

· Wikidata: Q4406298

· DBpedia: Neville Samarakoon

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Neville Samarakoon. https://biography.guide/neville-samarakoon/

MLA: "Neville Samarakoon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/neville-samarakoon/.

Chicago: "Neville Samarakoon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/neville-samarakoon/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:10 UTC