Dr. Jayewardene, What A Man You Were !

Dr H W Jayewardene

By Upul Jayasuriya -October 2, 2014 

Upul Jayasuriya -BASL President

This day will go down in the history of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka as an unforgettable one as we have enhanced the capacity and its sustainability whilst maintaining our much treasured and cherished independence of the Bar. I take this opportunity to place on record my sincere gratitude to your Excellency Michele Sison and Mrs. HW Jayewardene for the contribution you have made to make this dream a reality.

Permit me to take this opportunity to perform a duty on behalf of the Bar. Hon. The Attorney General, this will be the last official function of the BASL, you will attend as the sitting Attorney General. We attended the same school since year 1 during our tender years. In the AGs dept., You were a ranker. Two years of your stewardship as the country’s Attorney General was a period of tremendous pressure. During your tenure you conducted yourself well. The last decision of yours in filing an appeal in the Khurams Rape and Murder case is a feather on your cap. Let me wish you a successful career in the unofficial Bar.

It is even more important that we are able to name this conference hall as the Dr.H.W. Jayewardene Q.C. Auditorium after Dr. H.W Jayewardene the 1^st ever President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. His courage and unparalleled leadership qualities at a time the legal profession was under tremendous pressure from an intrusively interfering Minister of Justice who did every thing within his means to undermine the bench and the Bar should be admired.                                                 Read More