He was called to the English Bar as a
barrister in 1916 from the
Gray's Inn. On his return to he enrolled as an
advocate and started his legal practice in the
unofficial bar. He was appointed
Solicitor-General for Ceylon in 1931, serving till 1934 and was appointed a Ceylonese
King's Counsel in 1932. In 1932, he served briefly
acting Attorney General for Ceylon. In 1933, he was appointed
Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. He retired from the service of the government of Ceylon in 1934. In 1938 he was appointed an English
King's Counsel in 1932. De Silva became a
Bencher of Gray's Inn and was elected an honorary fellow of St John's College, Cambridge in 1956. He married Anne Edwards, daughter of George G. Edwards, of Liandrinio, Montgomeryshire in 1930. They had no children. He died on 28 November 1962 following a brief illness at his home in Willow Brook, Hassocks, Sussex. == References ==