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SC lost a brother judge who lived up to the prestige the profession demanded: CJ
Justice Prasanna Jayawardena
The untimely death of Supreme Court Justice Prasanna Jayawardena PC, denied the entire justice system the opportunity to reap the benefits of the complete tenure of a Judge who was “forthright, courageous and committed,” Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, said. He was speaking during the Reference held for Justice Jayawardena at the Supreme Court recently.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Justice noted that Justice Jayawardena made a great sacrifice in 2016 in deciding to give up a lucrative legal practice to become a Justice of the Supreme Court.
While Justice Jayawardena’s tenure in the Supreme Court was relatively short, “the invaluable contributions he made over the last three and a half years demonstrate his commitment and dedication to the chosen cause. His knowledge in many areas of law, the ability to resolve complex legal issues and his writing skills are very well reflected in his judicial pronouncements,” the CJ stressed.
Chief Justice Jayasuriya remarked that both the legal and judicial career of Justice Jayawardena reflects the great foundations he laid as a student of Royal College and the academic excellence achieved at the University of Colombo and Sri Lanka Law College.
He added that members of the Supreme Court have lost a brother judge who lived up to the prestige the profession demanded. “During the short period of the past eight months, I had the opportunity to experience the efficiency and the meticulous skills he possessed to manage Court proceedings. He was always firm but courteous to the bar. He never lost focus on the core issues and always guided counsel to remain focused on them. His absence will always be deeply felt. He always maintained and demanded from others to maintain the dignity and honour of the justice system,” he further said.
“Even though his presence in the Supreme Court was relatively short, the imprint he created will last long and be reminisced,” the Chief Justice asserted.
Attorney General Dappula De Livera PC, recalled that his first encounter with Justice Jayawardena was in 2017 at the Bond Commission.
“We worked for a year together closely as we were tasked to unravel the Bond scam which shocked this country. I soon realized that I was dealing with a man who knew his onions so to say,” he remarked.
The AG said Justice Jayawardena posed a formidable challenge to them as Legal Counsel at the Bond Commission to come to terms with the subject and proceed quickly.
“However, my style of advocacy may not have found flavour or favour with Justice Jayawardena,” he quipped.
Nevertheless, the AG said it was always a challenge to appear before Justice Jayawardena and that he enjoyed it. He noted that the proceedings were always lively.
“I relished and cherished the encounters I had with him in the open forum which attracted a great deal of public attention and interest.”
As a Justice of the Supreme Court, the AG said Justice Jayawardena had a huge presence and added luster and life to the proceedings of the Court.
“He caught the eye of the litigant and the attention of Counsel off guard. He was very articulate and very quick on the uptake. He sized up a case in minutes and got to the real issues at hand, no sooner. I know that he read his brief from cover to cover and was painstaking and meticulous in his preparation and as a result he posed a serious challenge to all Counsel to know their briefs and to be prepared and ready at all times.”
Speaking on behalf of the Unofficial Bar, President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Kalinga Indatissa PC, stated that Justice Jayawardena’s demise removes a most gifted and respected member of the Judiciary as well as a much loved member of their community.
“His knowledge of the Law was profound and he has left an enduring name as far as mortal memory goes; that name will be known for many generations to come as his legal knowledge as reflected in his judgments will be a guide to future generation of Lawyers,” Mr Indatissa observed.
“He was a commanding personality who’s uniform courtesy and kindness had won for him the respect and affection of the Bar. Courage, fearlessness, and independence were his outstanding characteristics. Temper, unruffled, always with a smile he radiated around him a grace and dignity all his own. He had a passion for justice and he discharged his judicial duties not only with notable and striking impartiality but with force of character and a strict sense of public duty. He had been throughout his relatively short judicial career the embodiment of the dignity of the law to an almost unique degree,” he further said.
Visit www.sundaytimes.lk to read the complete speeches from the Reference to Justice Prasanna Jayawardena