The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, during this debate on the expenditure head of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, I wish to draw the House’s attention to an important matter. Since this morning, multiple websites carried articles questioning the legal qualifications of Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, MP; how he obtained a BA from England; the law degree certificate; and the basis of his admission to Law College. A particularly investigative journalist, Ms. Nirmala Kannangara, has revealed information.

¶ 02 Firstly, the degree certificate said to be from The City University, London (not the University of London) was submitted to the University of Sri Jayewardenepura for registration for a Master’s. That certificate was issued on 15 September 2009, but the Vice Chancellor who signed it had resigned on 23 July—54 days prior—so how could he sign the certificate as VC 54 days after resigning? That is a serious issue raised in the media.

¶ 03 Secondly, as many lawyers here know, admission to Sri Lanka Law College without the Law Entrance Exam is possible only with degrees from recognized institutions. City University, London, was registered with Sri Lanka Law College only on 15 October 2009. Yet Hon. Namal Rajapaksa applied on 25 September 2009, and the application was accepted the same day—before that institution was recognized.

¶ 04 Thirdly, according to his own statements and the certificate, he holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours, Class Three. With a Third Class, one cannot be admitted to certain UK Bar professional bodies. I have several relevant reports, including “No degree certificate in Namal’s Law College file, admission breaches entry rules.” I table all these documents.

¶ 05 Placed in the Library.

¶ 06 I hope, to protect the dignity of MPs and of Parliament, Hon. Namal Rajapaksa will, after lunch, as per custom, come and clarify this matter.

¶ 07 Thank you.