Nothing deterred this lady who entered Law College as a mother of six
You wonder sometimes why only some are always ahead of others in honesty, forthrightness and a strong sense of right and wrong. I have pondered upon this question about my aunt, my father’s cousin, Sivagamasundary Aruchuna, daughter of Vallinayaki and Sathasivam of Thambachetty, Puloly West, Point Pedro and married to my uncle, the late Chelvathamby Aruchuna.
The first Tamil lady judge of Sri Lanka started her education in Badulla where her father was employed as a foreman at the Ceylon Commercial Company. At the turn of events in 1958, she moved back to Point Pedro and continued her studies at Methodist Girls’ High School still excelling in her class. Hailing from the small village of Thambachetty, her desire was to become a medical doctor, but instead,she was given in marriage at a young age, as was the norm in those days. However, determined to do higher studies she completed her London arts degree and with strong encouragement from her father and some of her male cousins, turned to law.
When she entered Sri Lanka Law College in 1969, she was a mother of six young children. Balancing her parental responsibility with the help of her mother, she passed out as an attorney in 1972 and returned to Point Pedro courts. Her focus was on civil law and she was mentored by her uncles at the Point Pedro bar, namely, Mr. Sivapathasuderam, Mr. N. A. Rajaratnam, Mr. Esurupatham and Mr.A. Nadarajasunderam who encouraged and guided her to become the lawyer she eventually became, efficient and honest. In 1982, she was appointed Justice of Peace and Unofficial Magistrate (JPUM) and started her role as acting Judge.
Mrs. Sivagamasundary Aruchuna became the first Tamil lady judge of Sri Lanka in 1987 and received her initial posting as a District Judge to the Mallakam courts. She served in Mannar from 1988 to 1990 and was moved to Hulftsdorp due to the political unrest in the region. Hulftsdorp saw her serving as Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge until her final posting to Trincomalee in 1991. Mrs. Aruchuna served as District Judge of Trincomalee until her retirement in August 1996.
It was during her tenure at Hulftsdorp in 1991 that I was setting foot into the legal profession and was an apprentice focused on civil law. She strongly encouraged me to expose myself to a variety of law including criminal law. To this end, she put me in touch with Hulftsdorp’s best of best in criminal law, Ananda Wijesekera, President’s Counsel, who graciously accepted me as his apprentice. She advised me to attend court and watch the court proceedings on a regular basis. She explained to me that there was no better way to learn the ropes of the profession. I remember feeling quite proud to sit in her court and observe the manner in which she conducted court’s affairs in maintaining its decorum. I am thankful for the guidance she has given me in many ways.
Mrs. Aruchuna, a calm and low-profile lady, but aggressive and proactive in professional duties,of course, came as bad news for lawyers who lived off “dates”. She had a reputation of disposing cases in a timely fashion without compromising on the quality of work or the ultimate goal of meting out justice. The story goes that she heard cases the first day she ascended the bench in any district, no excuse, and for lawyers there was no time to get to know this judge to work out their strategy. While I can imagine how that stand would’ve gone down with lawyers, the very lawyers who have appeared before her, will bear witness to her efficiency and no-nonsensical approach to litigating cases. And for litigants who sought justice before her, they found a judge they could trust to do the right thing.
After her retirement and immigration to New Zealand, she returned to Point Pedro in 2003 to spend part of her retirement helping young lawyers get on their feet. She guided them with procedural aspects of court and trained them in law, particularly in Thesawalamai law. After her permanent move to Wellington, New Zealand, she maintained an active lifestyle, spending her well-deserved retirement with her daughter and family and being actively involved with the senior community.
As one of her children put it after her passing away in June this year, “the pillar of our life is gone but the simplicity of life, honesty and the moral beliefs and values she taught us will guide us for the rest of our life and beyond”. Well this is the aunt I knew too. Goodbye to a wonderful mother, grandmother, and a well-accomplished lady!
- Asha Ramachandran