- In September 1904, the Government Analyst’s Department was started affiliating with Ceylon Medical College. British National Dr. K C Browning was appointed as the first government Analyst.
- Later in 1913, it was established as the Government Analyst’s Department. Subsequently, in 1934 it was reestablished under the Ministry of Local Government at the Independence Square, Colombo 07.
- With being under foreign scientific officers from the beginning, Mr. W.R. Chanmugam was appointed as the first Sri Lankan Government Analyst in 1945. Services of the Government Analyst Department have been further expanded to encompass forensic questioned document examination in 1935. In 1940 Mr. Thambaia Nagendran was appointed as the first Government Examiner of Questioned Documents.
- The Department has been under the Ministry of Defence from 1960 and of the Ministry of Justice from 1978 to date. Mrs. Yogarani Mahesan was the first female Government Analyst in the history of the Government Analyst’s Department.
- The department had to face many hassles and troubles in Independence Square for more than 100 years. Then on 10 th of May 2013 the department moved to a new location in Pelawatta, Battaramulla.
- The state-of-the-art facility in the six storied new building provided an ideal platform to introduce novel advanced technology to enhance forensic capabilities in providing scientific analytical services to the Law Court of the country.
- The DNA laboratory of the Government Analyst’s Department was established in 2013 with the aid of USAID (United States Agency for International Development). And further strengthened by KOICA (Korea International Corporation Agency) project. A new Digital Forensic Laboratory was completed during 2016 with the aid of KOICA project. Establishment of a DNA laboratory and the digital forensic laboratory are an extremely useful addition to the laboratory for effective criminal justice.
- In light of the enhancement of the scientific analytical works the laboratories of the Government Analyst’s Department was accredited as ISO/IEC 17025 by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB). Having started from a single scientist in 1904, at present, there are about 100 scientific staff officers in the field of Forensic and Food science and their service to the nation is of the essence.
- At present Mrs. Sandya Rajapaksha has been appointed as the 22 nd Government Analyst and Ms. K.K. Apsara was appointed as 8 th Government Examiner of Questioned Documents.
Former Government Analysts of the Department
Mr. C.T. Symons
1919 - 1934
Mr. W.R. Chanmugam
1945 - 1954
Mr. G.A.C. Sirimanne
1954 - 1968
Mr. N. Jayatunge
1968 - 1974
Mr. N.A.D. Weerasinghe
1974 - 1978
Mr. E.B. Dissanayake
1978 - 1984
Mr. T.K. Kandasamy
1984 - 1986
Mr. M.O.C. de Silva
1986 - 1989
Mr. A.R.L. Wijesekara
1989 - 1992
Ms. Yogaranee Mahesan
1992 - 1999
Mr. M.A.J. Mendis
1999 - 2001
Mr. T.W.P. Peiris
2001 - 2002
Mr. K. Sivarajah
2002 - 2004
Mr. E.G. Somapala
2004 - 2007
Mr. T.R.N.M. Liyanarachchi
2007.11.10 - 2013.07.30
Mr. W.D.G.S. Gunathilaka
2013.07.31 - 2014.03.02
Ms. Sakunthala Thennakoon
2014.03.03 - 2017.01.19
Mr. A. Welianga
2017.01.20 - 2020.06.05
Ms. G. Ramana
2020.06.06 - 2022.06.16
