Noel Gratiaen

Edward Frederick Noel Gratiaen (20 December 1904 – 1973) CMG QC, was the 30th Attorney General of Ceylon.

Hon. Edward Frederick Noel Gratiaen CMG, QC
30th Attorney General of Ceylon
In office 2 May 1956 – 1957
Preceded by	Hema Henry Basnayake
Succeeded by	Douglas St. Clive Budd Jansze
Member of Parliament for Burgher Community (appointed member)
In office November 1947 – March 1948
Preceded by	position created
Personal details
Born	(1912-12-20)20 December 1912
Died	1973
Spouse(s)	Zillah née Weinman

He was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, he then went on to study at Exeter College, Oxford and graduated in 1925. Upon his return to Ceylon, he became a journalist joining the Ceylon Independent of Sir Marcus Fernando but after the paper went out of publication, he enrolled at the Ceylon Law College and graduated as an Advocate.[1]

He was the Counsel for Philip Norton Banks, the Inspector General of Police in the infamous Bracegirdle Inquiry. He subsequently appeared in several election petition cases after the country's first parliamentary elections in 1947.

In November 1947, Gratiaen was appointed as a member of the Ceylon House of Representatives. He was one of six members appointed by the Governor-General, to represent important interests which were not represented or inadequately represented in the House.[2] In 1952, he presided over the trail of the Sathasivam murder case at the Assizes Court of the Western Province.[3]

In March 1948 he was appointed a Supreme Court Justice.

Gratiaen was appointed as the Attorney General of Ceylon on 2 May 1956, succeeding Hema Henry Basnayake, and held the office until 1957. He was succeeded by Douglas St. Clive Budd Jansze.[4]