Tribute: K C Kamalasabayson:

An all time great at Hulftsdorp

Former Attorney-General President’s Counsel K C Kamalasabayson was one of the most polished, persuasive and hardworking Attorney General of our times. 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.

When Kamalasab-ayson 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. Kamalasabayson will go down in history as one of the all time greats of Hultsdorp. Many are the cases in which by his clarity of thought, mastery analysis, mellifluous language assisted the Bench in clarifying and setting the principles of law relating to complicated cases.

Blessed with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy, enthusiasm, inspiring leadership and quickness of thoughts he attained eminence as a civil lawyer. No field of human endeavour was left untouched by the swaying amplitude of his imagination, the 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 rear dynamism and exemplary zeal.

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

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. His career in the Attorney- General’s Department was characterized by commitment and hard work which won him the trust and confidence of his colleagues and the Judges before whom he appeared. From the outset, he handled a large volume of civil work.

As a counsel he was always courteous to the Bench and the Bar. He became one of the leading counsels in the Attorney-General’s Department with his thoroughness and the mastery of the law. In 1983, he was promoted as Senior State Counsel. Thereafter, he was elevated to the position of Deputy Solicitor-General. Subsequently he was appointed as Additional Solicitor-General and then in 1998, he was appointed as Solicitor-General. He was appointed Attorney-General in 1999 which post he held until his retirement.

Whilst serving in the Attorney-General’s Department he obtained his Masters Degree in Law from the Colombo University in 1994 and another Masters in Law from the London University in 1995. In fact he had appeared for the State in several extradition cases including Manik Sandrasagara 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 indeed an inspiration and guide to everyone in the Attorney-General’s Department. Besides, he held the office of the Attorney-General at a critical and crucial period and discharged his responsibilities with unsurpassed distinction and unsullied honour. He was always of the view that noble means, noble ideas, noble action would certainly have noble consequences. Convoluted thinking and contorted behaviour would lead to calamitous consequences.

He always practised the Bagavad Gita ideal of absolute detachment in action. Indeed, Kamalasabayson showed by his illustrious life how men in the midst of storm and stress of worldly life could achieve the full and perfect development of his personality.

Kamalasabayson rose above narrow parochialism, regionalism, sectarianism and communalism.

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

Undoubtedly, Kamalasabayson was literally a comet who blazed momentarily across our skies, leaving in his trail a luminescence which the passing of time can hardly erase. Indeed, he was colossus, multi-faceted and multi dimensional personality who will be always remembered by all the communities and denominations for his work, worth and value.

- Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar