Second Annual Memorial lecture of K. C. Kamalasabayson, PC:

Court craft admirable and unmatched

Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar

Kamalasabayson hailed from a distinguished family in Trincomalee which produced eminent lawyers and judges. His brother late Kamalanathan was a leading criminal lawyer and the success of his brother at the Bar would no doubt have influenced him to embark on a legal career.

By a sheer dint of hard work and his command of the English language, his knowledge of the law and his winsome ways he won the confidence and the appreciation of the Bench and the Bar.

When he walked into the Court he knew his brief like the back of his hand and what he did not know, was not worth knowing. His court craft was admirable and unmatched. Further, his methodical and meticulous preparation of the work entrusted to him was indeed an exercise in unbounded patience, total dedication and also maximum assistance to the Bench.

Blessed with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy, enthusiasm, inspiring leadership and quickness of thought he attained eminence as a civil lawyer. Many are the cases in which, by his clarity of thought, mastery analysis, mellifluous language he readily assisted the Bench in clarifying and setting the principles of law relating to complicated cases.

In fact, no field of human endeavour was left untouched by the swaying amplitude of his imagination, his encompassing sweep of his thought, the penetrating yet lucid felicity of his words and the indefatigable zeal of his actions. No wonder, he left an indelible impression in most of what he touched with rare dynamism and exemplary zeal.

Kamalasabayson on completion of his secondary education at S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia entered the Sri Lanka Law College and passed out as an Advocate with First Class Honours in November 1971. He apprenticed under G. F. Sethukavalar and was enrolled as an Advocate in June 1972.

He joined the Attorney-General's Department as a State Counsel on August 1, 1974. Further, he obtained his Master of Laws (Public Law) at the University of Colombo in 1994 and the LLM in International Business Law from the University of London in 1995.

In 1983, he was promoted as Senior State Counsel. Thereafter, he was elevated to the position of Deputy Solicitor General on March 1, 1996. He was appointed as Additional Solicitor General and then in 1998 he was appointed as Solicitor General. In 1999, he was appointed as Attorney-General until his retirement.

Kamalasabayson has appeared for the State in several extradition cases including Manik Sandarasagara and Benwell cases. Furthermore, he was a Visiting Lecturer and Examiner in the Sri Lanka Law College and also a Visiting Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo.

Kamalasabayson was very popular among officers in the Attorney-General's Department and also with his junior counsels for his good principles of honesty and sincerity.

Further, he was simple at heart, unassuming, straightforward which were excellent qualities rare among other lawyers. He was indeed an inspiration and guide to everyone in the Attorney General's Department.

Possessed of a sparkling versatile genius he illumined any and every task which he undertook with an extra-ordinary sense of devotion, dedication combined with a unique organizing ability and a dedicated harmonising touch.

Undoubtedly, Kamalasabayson was literally a comet who blazed momentarily across our skies leaving in his trails a luminescence which the passing of time can hardly erase.