Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Dilan Ratnayake of the Attorney Generals Department was conferred Silk last week. Mr Ratnayake was invited to take his seat in the inner bar by his Lordship the Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya P.C at a ceremonial sitting held in the Supreme Court on May 8.

Mr.Ratnayake took his oath of office as a President’s Counsel in a Ceremonial Court in the presence of many lawyers, his family, friends and well- wishers.

Mr Ratnayake, joined the Attorney Generals Department as a state counsel in 1997 and has been working there for the past 27 years. He has worked in all criminal courts in our country as a state Counsel and a special prosecutor. During his tenure in the Attorney Generals Department he has handled many complex prosecutions for the state including the Trials – at-Bar cases where General Sarath Fonseka was the accused (White flag case) and the Welikada prisoners’ assassination case of 2012, Wasim Thajudeen suspicious death investigation case, the prosecution against former Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranaike for making a false asset declaration.

He was also a member of the Prosecution team appointed to assist the Special Presidential Commission of inquiry to investigate the 2015 Treasury Bond Transactions.

As a Deputy Solicitor General and a Senior Deputy Solicitor General Mr. Ratnayake was successful in securing convictions in the Welikada Prisoners Assassination Trial-at- Bar case and in the First indictment under the Piracy Act prosecuted in Sri Lanka. He also excelled in handling criminal appeal cases in the Court of Appeal and Appeals on questions of law to the Supreme Court. He has been the Senior Counsel for the state in many fundamental rights cases of importance in this time.

Currently Additional Solicitor General Ratnayake is handling many Writ applications where the prosecutorial discretion of the Attorney General is being challenged in addition to the other multitude of cases he ordinarily manage.

Mr. Ratnayake serves as a consultant to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and to the CIABOC (Commission to investigate Allegations of Bribery and corruption). He has also conducted prosecutions under these special laws.

Mr Ratnayake is presently the Senior Lecturer and examiner in Criminal Procedure at the Sri Lanka law College. He has been an examiner there since 2017.

President’s Counsel Dilan Ratnayake hails from a family of Legal luminaries. He’s the eldest son of President’s Counsel Aloy. N. Ratnayake and Swineetha Ratnayake. His Grandfather Damian. A.B Ratnayake was Crown Proctor of Kurunegala and the first SLFP Mayor of Kurunegala. Four of Aloy Ratnayake’s brothers were lawyers and two of his sisters were also married to lawyers. In Mr Ratnayake’s generation three of his cousins are lawyers and two of his cousins are married to lawyers.

Presidents Counsel Dilan Ratnayake is married to Virasmi Weerakkody Attorney-at-law and Notary Public practicing in Wattala. Their eldest Son Vivendra is already a lawyer practicing in Criminal law in the chambers of Anuja Premaratne PC. Their second son Dilendra is also a Final Year Law student, and a lawyer in the making awaiting to follow in the footsteps of his father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather.

President’s Counsel Dilan Ratnayake had his primary and secondary education at Royal College Colombo 7. He was a direct entrant to the Sri Lanka Law College and obtained a First Class Honours pass at the Attorney-at-law final examination in 1995. Having taken his oaths as an Attorney-at-law in December 1996 he joined the Attorney General’s Department in 1997. He received his Grant as Presidents Counsel from the President Ranil Wickramasinghe on 20th of March 2024.