Editing Advocate (section)

===Sri Lanka===
In [[Sri Lanka]] (formally Ceylon) till 1973 Advocate was a practitioner in a [[court|court of law]] who is legally qualified to [[Prosecutor|prosecute]] and defend actions in such court on the [[Retainer agreement|retainer]] of clients. Advocates had to pass the HSC exam and enter the [[Ceylon Law College]] and follow the Advocates course and sit for the relevant exams. Thereafter, they would have to practice under a senior advocate before being [[Call to the bar|called to the bar]] for admission as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. Members of the English, Scottish and Irish Bars are permitted to be admitted to a Barrister without examination on payment of a fee. Ceylonese Advocates with three years standing were allowed to be called to the English Bar without examination on completing three terms. The ''Justice Law No. 44 of 1973'' of the [[National State Assembly]] created a single group of practitioners known as [[Attorneys in Sri Lanka|Attorneys-at-law]]. The current equivalent to an advocate is a [[counsel]] who is a trial lawyer distinguished from an instructing attorney.