C. R. De Silva
Encyclopedia
Chitta Ranjan De Silva, PC
is a Sri Lanka
n lawyer. He was a former Attorney General
and Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
. He is the current Chairmen of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission
Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
, where he Captained Royal College at Rugby Football in 1968, most notably at the Bradby Shield Encounter
and were adjudged school champions. That year he captained the Ceylon Schools Rugby Football team as well. Thereafter he entered the Sri Lanka Law College
and was called to the Bar in 1974, starting his legal practice thereafter.
Two years later he joined the Attorney General's Department
as a State Counsel in May 1976. In 1984 he was promoted as a Senior State Counsel and was appointed Deputy Solicitor General in October 1992. He took silk as a President's Counsel
on February 19, 1997 after being appointed as an Additional Solicitor General in December 1996. In October 1999 he was appointed as the Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
, a post he would hold till 2007. For 10 years since 1997 he was the head of the Criminal Division of the Attorney General's Department. In April 2007 he was appointed as the Attorney General of Sri Lanka
. He retired in early 2009. During his career as a public prosecutor in the Attorney General's Department he appeared on behalf of the state for some of the most significant criminal cases in the country, involving the assassination of the High Court Judge of Colombo, Sarath Ambepitiya
.
De Silva has represented the Government of Sri Lanka in a number of International Bilateral Air Traffic Negotiations held in New Delhi, Australia, Greece and Sri Lanka. He has also been a member of Sri Lankan delegations to the Human Rights Committee
under the optional protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
and to the United Nations
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
.
He has served as a lecturer and examiner at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
and is an examiner at the Sri Lanka Law College. He is also a member of the Law Commission of Sri Lanka and had served as a member of the Board of Management of Child Protection Authority, Drug Control Board and the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine.
President's Counsel (Sri Lanka)
President's Counsel is a professional rank, as their status is conferred by the president, recognised by the courts and wear silk gowns of a special design...
is a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n lawyer. He was a former Attorney General
Attorney General of Sri Lanka
The Attorney General of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan government's chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The Attorney General is usually a highly-respected Senior Advocate, and is appointed by the ruling government. The current Attorney General is Mohan...
and Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
The Solicitor General of Sri Lanka is a post subordinate to the Attorney General of Sri Lanka. The Solicitor General of Sri Lanka assists the Attorney General, and is assisted by four Additional Solicitors General.-List of Solicitor Generals:...
. He is the current Chairmen of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission is a commission of inquiry appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in May 2010 to look into events of the Sri Lankan Civil War between February 2002 and May 2009.-Background:...
Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
, where he Captained Royal College at Rugby Football in 1968, most notably at the Bradby Shield Encounter
Bradby Shield Encounter
The Bradby Shield Encounter - commonly known as "The Bradby" - is the blue ribbon of Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. It is played annually between traditional rivals Royal College, Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy. The encounter consists of two legs, one being played in the Royal College...
and were adjudged school champions. That year he captained the Ceylon Schools Rugby Football team as well. Thereafter he entered the Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College was established as the Ceylon Law College under the Council of Legal Education in 1874 in order to impart a formal legal education to those who wished to be lawyers in Ceylon...
and was called to the Bar in 1974, starting his legal practice thereafter.
Two years later he joined the Attorney General's Department
Attorney-General's Department (Sri Lanka)
The Attorney-General's Department is a non-ministerial government department in Sri Lanka that supports the Attorney General and his/her deputy the Solicitor General. It handles public prosecution and advises the government on legal matters...
as a State Counsel in May 1976. In 1984 he was promoted as a Senior State Counsel and was appointed Deputy Solicitor General in October 1992. He took silk as a President's Counsel
President's Counsel (Sri Lanka)
President's Counsel is a professional rank, as their status is conferred by the president, recognised by the courts and wear silk gowns of a special design...
on February 19, 1997 after being appointed as an Additional Solicitor General in December 1996. In October 1999 he was appointed as the Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
Solicitor General of Sri Lanka
The Solicitor General of Sri Lanka is a post subordinate to the Attorney General of Sri Lanka. The Solicitor General of Sri Lanka assists the Attorney General, and is assisted by four Additional Solicitors General.-List of Solicitor Generals:...
, a post he would hold till 2007. For 10 years since 1997 he was the head of the Criminal Division of the Attorney General's Department. In April 2007 he was appointed as the Attorney General of Sri Lanka
Attorney General of Sri Lanka
The Attorney General of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan government's chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The Attorney General is usually a highly-respected Senior Advocate, and is appointed by the ruling government. The current Attorney General is Mohan...
. He retired in early 2009. During his career as a public prosecutor in the Attorney General's Department he appeared on behalf of the state for some of the most significant criminal cases in the country, involving the assassination of the High Court Judge of Colombo, Sarath Ambepitiya
Sarath Ambepitiya
Sarath Ambepitiya was a Sri Lankan judge. He was serving as the Judge of the Colombo High Court when he was assassinated...
.
De Silva has represented the Government of Sri Lanka in a number of International Bilateral Air Traffic Negotiations held in New Delhi, Australia, Greece and Sri Lanka. He has also been a member of Sri Lankan delegations to the Human Rights Committee
Human Rights Committee
The United Nations Human Rights Committee is a United Nations body of 18 experts that meets three times a year for four-week sessions to consider the five-yearly reports submitted by 162 UN member states on their compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,...
under the optional protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
and to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is a United Nations convention. A second-generation human rights instrument, the Convention commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races...
.
He has served as a lecturer and examiner at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University located at Kandawala, Ratmalana, Colombo, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are trained before they go for their pre-commission training to their academies...
and is an examiner at the Sri Lanka Law College. He is also a member of the Law Commission of Sri Lanka and had served as a member of the Board of Management of Child Protection Authority, Drug Control Board and the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine.