The Constitutional Council has approved the recommendation to appoint Justice Murdu Fernando as the Chief Justice.Justice Fernando took oath as the Acting Chief Justice before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on October 10, 2024.Justice Fernando is the second woman to hold the position of Chief Justice in Sri Lankas history, after Shirani Bandaranayake in 2011.Fernando joined the Attorney Generals Department as a state counsel, where she served for over 30 years having been promoted to senior state counsel, deputy solicitor general, additional solicitor general and senior additional solicitor general.She was appointed a Presidents Counsel while serving as an additional solicitor general.She was later appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court by then President Maithripala Sirisena in March 2018.