Attorney General's Department (Sri Lanka)

Attorney General's Department
නීතිපති දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව
சட்டமா அதிபர் திணைக்களம்
Agency overview
Formed1884
JurisdictionThe Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Employees553[1]
Annual budgetLKR 1.28 billion (2016)[1]
Agency executives
Websitewww.attorneygeneral.gov.lk

The Attorney General's Department is a non-ministerial government department in Sri Lanka that supports the attorney general and his/her deputy the solicitor general. The department is headed by the attorney general and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Justice. The office of "Attorney General" was formally adopted in the year 1884.

Operational functions

Attorney General's Department provides legal assistance to the Central Government, Provincial Councils, Government Departments, Statutory Boards and other Semi Government institutions. Legal officers of the Department provide instructions to the Government and Governmental Institutions on Civil, Criminal, Constitutional and Commercial matters and represent the Government and Governmental Institutions for the Cases, instituted in the Supreme Court, other Courts and labor tribunals in the Island.

Organisation

Three main Divisions named Civil Division, Criminal Division and State Attorney Division have been established in the Department for Civil and Criminal Cases and the Establishment Division & Account Division have been established to conduct administrative work. In addition to those divisions, Corporation Division, EER Unit, which performs duties under Extra Emergency Regulations and Prevention of Terrorism Act, Child Abuse Cases Unit, Immigration & Emigration Unit, Public Petitions Unit and Supreme Court Unit have been established for the smooth functioning of the Attorney General's Department.

Current attorney general

Parinda Ranasinghe was appointed Attorney General on 12 July 2024 by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He previously served as Acting Attorney General from 1 July 2024.[2]

Viraj Dayaratne was appointed Solicitor General on 28 November 2024 by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.[3]

Organizational structure

Lawyers' of the Attorney General's Department are known as the Law Officers.

  • Attorney General (AG)
  • Solicitor General (SG)
  • Senior Additional Solicitors General (SASG)
  • Additional Solicitors General (ASG)
  • Senior Deputy Solicitors General (SDSG)
  • Deputy Solicitors General (DSG)
  • Senior State Counsel
  • State Counsel
  • Assistant State Counsel
  • Senior State Attorney
  • State Attorney
  • Senior Assistant State Attorney
  • Assistant State Attorney

Former posts

  • Senior Crown Counsel – replaced by Senior State Counsel
  • Crown Counsel – replaced by State Counsel
  • Crown Proctor – replaced by State Attorney

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Budget Estimates, Fiscal Year 2017: Volume 1. Colombo: Ministry of Finance, Government of Sri Lanka. 2017. p. 305. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Parinda Ranasinghe appointed as new Attorney General". Ada Derana. 12 July 2024. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Viraj Dayaratne appointed as Solicitor General". Ada Derana. 28 November 2024. Archived from the original on 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.


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