AG did yeoman service to legal system

By Sarath MALALASEKERA

Outgoing Attorney General, C.R. De Silva President's Counsel had handled several important issues in the legal system while he was the Attorney General, with law's delays being one of the important issues.

"I am proud to say that during my tenure with able assistance from other officers of the department I was able to dispose around of 8,500 pending criminal cases annually, former Attorney General said.

The other important issue was criminal law heavily in favour of accused which led to a serious breach of justice.

'I have chaired various committees which were constituted to examine various aspects of criminal laws. I had made recommendations to strengthen the criminal Justice system. A number of recommendations have received statutory exposure in the country.

De Silva represented Sri Lanka as a senior member in several delegations abroad including the UN Committee on Human Rights.

C.R. De Silva received his secondary education at Royal College, Colombo where he excelled both in studies and sports. He captained the Royal College Rugby Football team in 1968, when they were adjudged school champions. In the same year, he captained the Ceylon Schools Rugby Football team.

De Silva hails from an illustrious legal background, where his father K.D. De Silva was a Judge of the Supreme Court. His two brothers are active practitioners in the Civil Courts.

He entered the Sri Lanka Law College and was called to the Bar in 1974. He devilled in the chambers of President's Counsels A.C. (Bunty) De Zoysa and Daya Perera.

Joining the Attorney General's Department in September 1975 as a State Counsel, he was promoted Senior State Counsel in 1983. Later he was appointed as a Deputy Solicitor General. On December 24, 1996 he was appointed as Additional Solicitor General and was also called to the Inner Bar as a President's Counsel on March 27, 1997.

De Silva successfully completed a course in 'Criminal Justice' at the University of Illinois in USA in 1990. He has been a member of several Sri Lankan delegations to various international bodies including the Afro Asian Legal Consultative Committee held in Islamabad in 1993, UN Human Rights Council, UN Human Right Committee, UN Convention Against Torture Committee, UN Committee for the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

He had been a member of the Child Protection Authority and was also a member of the Drug Control Board.

In addition he was a member of the Committee of Inquiry appointed by the President to examine causes relating to 'Accidents and Loss of Aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force'. He served as a member of the Law Commission of Sri Lanka.He was also associated with the Fr. Mathew Peiris' case both in original and Appellate Courts.He successfully appeared for the prosecution of leading cases such as Hokandara, High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya, Kobeigane Beauty Queen, Tony Martin, Rita John murder cases, the former Deputy Examinations Commissioner Percy Nanayakkara case. A writ application in respect of rejection of the nomination papers of the UNP in respect of Municipal Council elections and for Minister of Sports in the Thilanga Sumathipala case.

He functioned as an examiner at the Sri Lanka Defence Academy, Kandawala and at the Sri Lanka Law College.

When the Sunday Observer inquired from him as to whether he would accept any diplomatic posting, if offered he replied, "I love Sri Lanka and I will be joining the Unofficial Bar.