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At a glance: Sri Lanka’s 45th CJ Priyasath Dep
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CJ Priyasath Dep
Justice Priyasath Dep, was sworn in as the 45th Chief Justice (CJ) of Sri Lanka on Thursday (March 2).
He was the senior-most Judge of the Supreme Court following the retirement of CJ K. Sripavan who was born on February 29 ( a leap year), turned 65.
Justice Dep served the Attorney General’s (AG) Department for more than 33 years and had the distinction of being the Head of both Civil and Criminal Divisions, and also served as acting AG on many occasions.
He enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law in October 1976 and joined the AG’s Department as a State Counsel in January 1978. He was promoted to the post of Senior State Counsel in February 1989, made a Deputy Solicitor General in February 1996, Additional Solicitor General in October 1999 and a President’s Counsel in April 2000.
He was appointed Solicitor General in April 2007 and functioned in that capacity until his elevation to the Supreme Court in June 2011.
The CJ has prosecuted many significant cases during his time with the AG’s Department. In 1987, as a State Counsel attached to the Criminal Division, he led the prosecution in the Amarapala (Deputy Director of Customs) Murder case, which was considered a sensational case at the time. In 2002, he led the prosecution in the Inoka Sevwandi Murder case before a Trial-at-Bar. In the same case he successfully defended the appeal in the Supreme Court. In 2004, he was nominated to appear for the state in the appeal in the Sujith Prasanna Perera (Superintendent of Customs) Murder which was heard by a Trial-at-Bar successfully in the Supreme Court. During this period he functioned as the head of the Criminal Division.
The new CJ is a life member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Medico-Legal Society, and Royal Asiatic Society.
He is a member of the International Association of Prosecutors and Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association. He also holds membership in the Judicial Services Commission, Board of Management of the Sri Lanka Judges Institute and Incorporated Council of Legal Education.
Justice Dep is the son of the late DIG of Police, Arthur C. Dep.