Colvin Reginald de Silva (1907 – 27 February 1989; commonly known as Colvin R. de Silva) was a Cabinet Minister of Plantation Industries and Constitutional Affairs, prominent member of parliament, Trotskyist leader and lawyer in Sri Lanka. He was one of the founders of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party – the first Marxist party in Sri Lanka. Early life and education Colvin R. de Silva was born in Balapitiya. His father Dr Obinamuni Arnolis De Silva, was a registered medical practitioner attached to the Department of Health. His mother Pettagan Joseline De Silva was a daughter of a business tycoon Pettagan Aseneris De Silva, His elder brother was Walwin de Silva, a civil servant. He received his education at St. John's College, Panadura and at the Royal College, Colombo where he won colours. He thereafter studied history at University College, Ceylon, gaining a BA from the University of London and went on to gain his PhD from King's College London in 1932 for his thesis: Ceylon Under the British Occupation, later published as a book. Legal career On his return to Ceylon, Dr Colvin R. de Silva took oaths as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and started his practice as a lawyer. He gain fame in the writ of Habeas Corpus related to Mark Anthony Bracegirdle, where he appeared for Bracegirdle as junior of H.V. Perera. From the 1940s to the 1960s Dr Colvin R. de Silva enjoyed an unparalleled reputation as a criminal lawyer of great distinction. He appeared in virtually every high-profile criminal trial of his day. In the Sathasivam murder case, his exceptionally brilliant cross-examining skills resulted in the acquittal of his client, while in the Kularatne murder case appeal, it was his intimate knowledge of the law of circumstantial evidence that saved the accused. With the advent of Fundamental Rights litigation, Dr. de Silva also appeared in many such cases before the Supreme Court, most notably in the Vivienne Goonewardena assault case. He continued his legal practice until his death, with the exception of when he was serving as a minister. Political career Early politics Dr. Colvin R. de Silva became the first president of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party when it was established on 21 December 1935 at Lorenz College Hall, along with Dr. N.M. Perera, Leslie Goonewardene, Philip Gunawardena and Robert Gunawardena. An active Trotskyite, during the Second World War he