Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday removed the island's Chief Justice in accordance with an impeachment vote passed in parliament last week.

Presidential spokesman Mohan Samaranayake said that the documents signed by the President removing Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake from office were sent to her official residence on Sunday.

The Sri Lankan parliament had late Friday evening voted in favour of an impeachment motion against the Chief Justice.

Parliament voted by a majority to impeach Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, with 155 in favour and 49 against it.

Government members submitted 14 charges against Bandaranayake and subsequently a parliament select committee investigated five of the charges and found her guilty on three.

The country's apex court had however ruled earlier this year that the parliament select committee was unconstitutional.

However parliament went ahead with the impeachment process, setting the stage for a deepening rift between the judiciary and the legislator.

Meanwhile the main body representing lawyers in Sri Lanka have decided to seek a meeting with President Rajapaksa to discuss the situation following the impeachment of the Chief Justice.

Outgoing President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that they want to discuss the future of the judiciary with the President.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma had on Friday urged the Sri Lankan Government to pause for further careful consideration following the passage by the country's Parliament of the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice.

"The impeachment of a Chief Justice is a very serious matter. In this particular case, it has called into question aspects of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

He said that the Commonwealth, collectively, is profoundly concerned about this situation. Sri Lanka is a member of the Commonwealth.