K C Kamalasabayson - a legal luminary

The fourth K C Kamalasabayson, President Counsel and former Attorney-General's 'Memorial Oration' on 'Fundamental Rights - Changing Judicial Attitudes' was delivered by Faisz Muthapha (PC) yesterday (23) at Sri Lanka Law College Auditorium, Hulftsdorp, Colombo 12.

Kamalasabayson, who was affectionately referred to as 'Saba' in the Attorney-General's Department received his early education at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia which has produced many illustrious sons of Sri Lanka who have left indelible impressions on the sands of time.

On completion of his secondary education at S. Thomas' College, he entered the Sri Lanka Law College and passed out as an advocate with first class honours in November 1972.

He worked in the Chambers of G F Sethukavalar and Balanadarajah and thereafter joined the Attorney-General's Department as a State Counsel on August 1, 1974. 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 as an up and coming member of the legal profession.

Civil lawyer

Blessed with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy, bubbling enthusiasm, inspiring leadership, quickness of thought, unyielding determination, dedication, high degree of discipline and profound commitment, he attained eminence as a Civil Lawyer and won the trust of his colleagues and the Judges before whom he appeared.

As a State 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. In 1999, he was appointed as Attorney-General which post he held until his retirement.

While serving in the Department, he obtained a Masters' Degree in Law from the University of Colombo in 1994 and another Masters' in Law from the London University in 1995. In fact, Kamalasabayson was one of the most remarkable Attorney-Generals who had discharged his responsibilities with unsurpassed distinction and unsullied honour.

Further, he was indeed one of the most polished, persuasive and hardworking Attorney-General whose methodical and meticulous preparation of the work entrusted to him was an exercise in unbounded patience, total dedication and also maximum assistance to the Bench.

'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.

The most notable characteristics of Kamalasabayson as Attorney-General have been the thoroughness and great stability and agility of mind.

He was always friendly and fought clean. Judges felt safe with him since they knew that he would never mislead them to score a point. He had a clear legal mind and never strayed with irrelevancies. He was a friend, philosopher and guide to the juniors in the Attorney-General's Department.

Illustrious life

He was a shining symbol of all that is best and noblest. Above all, he was a man of God who did all his work with devotion and ceaselessly strove to live in the presence of God and surrender to His will. Indeed, he rose above narrow parochialism, regionalism, sectarianism and communalism and was held in high esteem by the people of different communities and denominations.

In fact, he was of the view that noble means, noble actions, would certainly have noble consequences and convoluted thinking and contorted behaviour would lead to calamitous consequences.

He believed in the great sangam literature 'Purananooru' which was written about 2000 years, which says that "All villages are mine all human beings are my relatives. Good and bad are the outcome of our own actions and not of others."

Unique organizing ability

Furthermore, no field of human endeavour was left untouched by the amplitude of his imagination, encompassing sweep of his thought and felicity of his words. He always practised the Bagavad Gita ideal of absolute detachment in action.

He 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 personalities.

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

In recognition and appreciation of his ability in the sphere of law and command of the English and Tamil languages he was appointed as a visiting lecturer and examiner in the Sri Lanka Law College and also a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo.

Undoubtedly, Kamalasabayson was literally a comet who blazed momentarily across our skies, leaving in its 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 communities for his work, worth and value.

- Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar