J. Asoka N. De Silva as Chief Justice?

With the retirement of Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva on June 7, speculation is rife among the legal fraternity of another senior most justice, Joseph Asoka N. De Silva being appointed to the highest seat in the Judiciary of Sri Lanka.

With his familiarity with international law, especially on allegations of genocide, ethnic cleansing etc. legal sources point out that he stands a better chance than the others of being appointed as Chief Justice at the current juncture.

J. Asoka N. De Silva who is familiar with national as well as international law. After graduating from the University of Ceylonin 1971, He was enrolled as an Advocate of the Supreme Court in December 1972. After a short period in the private Bar he joined the Attorney General’s Department in April 1974. He became a Senior Deputy Solicitor General on 1987 and after serving 22 years in the Attorney General’s Department he was appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 1995.

Justice Asoka De Silva became the President of the Court of Appeal in February 2001 and later elevated to the Supreme Court in August 2001.

Justice De Silva was appointed to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) as a permanent judge by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan in August 2004. Justice De Silva served the ICTR as one of the 16 permanent judges in the tribunal in Trial Chamber II.

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