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APPRECIATION: Judge Christie Weeramantry
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Prolific writer: Christie Weeramantry at one of his book launch events
Judge Christie Weeramantry
World renowned Sri Lankan legal luminary stood for world peace and justice
It is with great sadness that I learned of the demise of Judge Christie Weeramantry, a friend and a mentor. In his passing, the international community has lost a towering legal mind who served as an exceptional judge, eminent jurist, and outstanding professor, with boundless dedication, utmost humility, and commitment for nearly seven decades. Above all, he was a phenomenal human being. We shall indeed miss his noble service.
My association with Judge Weeramantry dates back to his first visit to the United States in April 1969 on a lecture tour of North American universities. At the time he was a shining star on the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. From then onwards, I have continued to marvel at the depth and breadth of his scholarship and was immensely enriched by his friendship and guidance.
It is astonishing that a man who had a long career as a Judge both in Sri Lanka and on the World Court, a professor, and active in public affairs should have published so many volumes expounding the intricacies of law, ethics, philosophy, religion, and the environment: None more important than his singular contribution in pointing out the danger to civilisation resulting from unbridled scientific and technological advances, and creating an awareness of the extent to which modern technology is undermining basic human rights. He saw as he puts it “the importance for the human future of these two all-important forces — human rights and technology — being harnessed to move in unison rather than independently of each other”.
He is a jurist who had the heart of a poet and the mind of a scientist. A pacifist and humanist who constantly struggled for global peace and justice, Judge Weeramantry has created an enduring legacy that is to be universally valued.
It is good to know that Judge Weeramantry could be comforted by the thoughts of his many friends around the world, as expressed in the felicitation volume that has been completed.
Nandasiri (Nandi) Jasentuliyana
President Emeritus, International Institute of Space Law, Former Deputy Director General, United Nations, and Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
Lanka bids farewell to a distinguished jurist
The demise of Sri Lankabhimanya Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ, 1991 to 2000) and judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka (1967 to 1972) on January 5, deprives Sri Lanka of a distinguished jurist.
In the ICJ, he presided as Vice-President over several important cases before the Court, including on the illegality of the use and threatened use of nuclear weapons as well as on sustainable development and on the scope of equity in international law.
Combining a reputed judicial career with academia, he was The Sir Hayden Starke Professor of law from 1972-1991 at Monash University and served as Visiting Professor at many universities across the world. Author of more than thirty books on topics as diverse as cross-cultural understanding and education, Islamic jurisprudence, intergenerational equity, law and scientific advancement and apartheid, his contributions include ‘Tread Lightly on the Earth: Religion, Environment and the Human Future’ where he explored the teachings of the five great religions to argue that humanity must cease to exploit the environment for short-term gain and ‘The Lord’s Prayer; Bridge to a Better World’ where he shows the manner in which over a hundred principles of international human rights law are embedded in the religious prayer.
The many awards conferred on him include the UNESCO Peace Education Prize in 2006, the Right Livelihood Award (alternative Nobel Prize) in 2007, Sri Lankabhimanya; the Highest National Honour of Sri Lanka in 2007 and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in 2008. He established the Weeramantry International Centre for Peace Education and Research in 2001.
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Final rites of Judge Weeramantry today
Internationally renowned Sri Lankan Jurist C.G. Weeramantry who passed away on Thursday at the age of 90, will be laid to rest at Borella cemetery this afternoon, his family said. He was a Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) from 1991 to 2000 and its Vice President from 1997 to 2000.
The viewing today will be from 11 am to 3 pm, at A.F. Raymonds and thereafter, burial at the Borella RC section.
A memorial service in his honour was held at St.Mary’s Church, Bambalapitiya, last evening.
Meanwhile, in a condolence message, President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Geoffrey Alagaratnam P.C., said, “At this time in our nation’s history, Judge Weeramantry’s firm belief in a world order and peace without borders, based on this inalienable dignity and equality of all is a fundamental with momentous relevance. Are we in Sri Lanka up to it?”