President’s Counsel K.A. Parinda Ranasinghe has been appointed as the new Attorney General of Sri Lanka by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The appointment, made in accordance with Article 61E (b) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, was confirmed at the Presidential Secretariat, as reported by the President’s Media Division.
Previously serving as the Senior Additional Solicitor General, Ranasinghe was recently designated as the Acting Attorney General. His nomination was unanimously approved by the Constitutional Council, following the rejection of the proposal to extend former Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam’s term by six months.
Ranasinghe took his oaths as the Acting Attorney General before the Chief Justice on July 1. However, his appointment has sparked controversy, with allegations suggesting that the government overlooked Senior Additional Solicitor General Ayesha Jinasena, despite her seniority and eligibility, due to gender bias.
In response to these allegations, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake clarified that there is no constitutional requirement to appoint the senior-most officer from the Attorney General’s Department based on seniority. Ekanayake emphasized that under Article 41C of the Constitution, the President is empowered to appoint the Attorney General with the approval of the Constitutional Council.
