Sarath N. Silva

Sarath N. Silva PC
41st Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
In office 16 September 1999 – 7 June 2009
Appointed by	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Preceded by	G. P. S. de Silva
Succeeded by	Asoka de Silva
38th Attorney General of Sri Lanka
In office 1996–1999
Preceded by	Shibly Aziz
Succeeded by	K. C. Kamalasabayson
President of the Sri Lankan Court of Appeal
In office 1987 – 1994, 1994–1995 (President)
Personal details
Alma mater	Sri Lanka Law College University of Brussels

Sarath Nanda Silva PC served as the 41st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

He obtained his Primary and Secondary school education at Trinity College Kandy and continued to Sri Lanka Law College. Prior to civil service, his achievements included work obtaining a Master of Laws degree Magna Cum Laude from the University of Brussels. He was admitted as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in June 1967 and commenced his career in the Attorney General's department in 1968 as a Crown Counsel. He was promoted to Senior State Counsel in 1975 and Deputy Solicitor-General in 1979. Appointed as a Judge of the Sri Lankan Court of Appeal in 1987, he later became the President of the Court in 1994.

Justice Silva was seen as close to President Chandrika Kumaratunga when first appointed to the Supreme Court in 1995, then serving under her as Attorney-General in 1996 and was appointed a President's Counsel the same year. His appointment as Chief Justice in 1999 evoked widespread protest in the media on concerns of there being more qualified and experienced judges in Sri Lanka, and Chandrika Kumaratunga was perceived as using him to control Court decisions. In his short term on the Court, he had contributed to and rendered decision on many Court cases that appeared to satisfy the Executive President's political needs.

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