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ASG conferred Silk
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.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
