Prasannajit De Silva _verified_ Jun 2026

Before ascending to the bench, Prasannajit De Silva had a long and impactful career as a practicing lawyer.

Perhaps his most complex case involved the Italian dairy giant Parmalat ’s subsidiaries in Sri Lanka. When Parmalat collapsed globally due to fraud, de Silva was tasked with recovering assets parked in Colombo. Using novel legal arguments regarding piercing the corporate veil—a doctrine rarely successful in Sri Lankan courts—he managed to secure millions for international creditors, setting a precedent for cross-border insolvency recognition.

His work explores how British officials in India used art to distance themselves from their "colonial neighborhood," emphasizing their "Britishness" even while surrounded by Indian culture. The "Aristocratic" Civil Servant: prasannajit de silva

In contemporary discourse, his name is invoked by environmentalists, peacemakers, and cultural revivalists. The Prasannajit Awards , a fictional initiative, honor thinkers who bridge tradition and modernity, ensuring his ethos remains alive.

Dr. Prasannajit de Silva is a distinguished art historian and lecturer specializing in British visual culture Before ascending to the bench, Prasannajit De Silva

In his book Colonial Self-Fashioning in British India, c. 1785–1845 , de Silva is praised for providing a of colonial life. Rather than adhering to stereotypical views of racial harmony or rigid segregation, he uses a "textured" analysis of visual images to reveal the complex social and political realities of the British East India Company era.

De Silva often examines specific historical portraits and narratives to uncover broader social histories. A notable example is his work on the portrait of Joanna de Silva (a "Native of Bengal" and an Using novel legal arguments regarding piercing the corporate

: A former Vice-Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University and professor of Geo-informatics.