Sarath Fernando PC, new Solicitor General

by Sarath MALALASEKERA

Senior Additional Solicitor General, President’s Counsel Sarath Palitha Fernando has been appointed as the New Solicitor General with immediate effect.

The New Solicitor General Palitha Fernando succeeded the first Woman Attorney General Eva Wanasundera.

New Solicitor General Palitha Fernando holds a Bachelor of Laws, University of Colombo, Master of Laws, International Law, University of Colombo Sri Lanka and Master of Law International Commercial Law, University of Bristol UK.

After having joined the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka in February 1980 as an Acting State Counsel, he was promoted to the post of Senior State Counsel in 1989 and Deputy Solicitor General in 1997. He was head of the Legal Division of Sri Lanka Navy and Judge Advocate of the Sri Lanka Navy till 2004. He had served as prosecutor and also Judge Advocate at several Courts Martial of all three Services.

‘Palitha’ to his near dear and ones is a distinguished old boy of Royal College, Colombo.

At College he led both the College English and Sinhala debating teams and served as Student Chairman of the College English Literary Association and the General Secretary of the Sinhala Literary Association.

He had his Tertiary education at Sri Lanka Law College, University of Colombo and University of Bristol United Kingdom.

He passed the preliminary and Final Examinations at the Sri Lanka Law College with First Class Honours and was awarded the prize for Commercial Law for securing the highest marks for the subjects at the Final Examination.

He had also won the Hector Jayawardena Gold Medal for the First Place at the Address to the Jury Contest in English and SR Wijetilake and A C de Zoysa Challenge Shields for the First Place at the Address to the Jury Contest in Sinhala.

He took oaths as an Attorney at Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on June 21, 1979 and appointed as a President’s Counsel in May 2007.

He holds several memberships in Professional bodies including National Dangerous Drugs Board, National Child Protection Authority, Council of the University of Moratuwa, Law Commission of Sri Lanka and Legal Advisor to the Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires’ Association.

At the Attorney General’s Department he had appeared in a number of important cases including Hokandara Murder case, defamation of President Kumarathunga, Wijedasa Liyanaarachchi, Fundamental Rights application of Anura Bandaranaike, challenging the search at his residence, Helping Hambantota Fundamental Rights application filed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Rape case against actor Kamal Addararachchi, Writ application filed by former Minister SB Dissanayake, the Rule against Minister SB Dissanayake on a charge of contempt of court, bail application of Thilanga Sumathipala, Parliament bomb case as junior counsel to then Attorney General Sunil de Silva, bombing of the Avro Aircraft as junior to then Deputy Solicitor General Tilak Marapana and Presidential Commission of Inquiry, into the activities of Mossad in Sri Lanka.