Priyasath Dep appointed acting Attorney General

by Sarath MALALASEKERA

The Solicitor General, Priyasath Dep was appointed as Acting Attorney General following the retirement of former Attorney General C. R. de Silva P.C. from October 8, 2008.

Mr. Dep was sworn in before the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC on Thursday.

Dep was enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law in October 1976 and joined the Attorney-General's Department as State Counsel in January 1978 and was promoted to the post of Senior State Counsel in February 1989.

He was appointed a Deputy Solicitor General in February 1996 and an Additional Solicitor General in October 1999. Dep was appointed a President's Counsel in April 2000. He was appointed as Solicitor General on 7th April 2007.

As a State Counsel Dep was attached to the Criminal Division and from 1978-1985. He conducted prosecutions in the High Court of Colombo and outstation High Courts. From 1985-88 he was engaged in conducting prosecutions under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and also conducted prosecutions in Narcotic cases. In 1987 he led the evidence in Amarapala (Deputy Director of Customs) Murder case. He was promoted to the post of Senior State Counsel in February 1989. From 1990-1997 he appeared for the State and Public Corporations in civil cases in the District Courts. He also appeared in the Court of Appeal in Writ Applications and in District Court (Final) Appeals.