Twenty years ago on April 19, 1990, Dr. H.W. Jayewardene, QC, a colossus in the legal profession passed away while on a visit to India. It was the end of an innings of a great legal luminary Sri Lanka had produced. It was a loss not only to his wife Claribel, son, daughters, in-laws and grandchildren but also to the legal fraternity at large.
Dr. Jayewardene was an advocate par excellence and at the time of his death, had completed 49 successful years at the Bar. Born to a family of lawyers, he was conferred silk at an early age.
Fame and success came to him within a short period, with hard work. The civil law was his forte and the later years of his practice were dedicated to the appellate courts where he excelled in every case he appeared. The Law Reports of Sri Lanka and England bear ample testimony to his brilliance.
The legal fraternity of Sri Lanka owes deep gratitude to Dr. Jayewardene for his contribution to the legal profession in many ways. When the Bar Association of Sri Lanka came into being in 1975, he was its first President. When there was a move by the then government to shift the courts from Hulftsdorp to Bambalapitiya, it was Dr. Jayewardene who steered the opposition with success.
He was instrumental in getting the Government of China to construct the Superior Courts complex at Hulftsdorp which to date houses the appellate courts, the Supreme Courts including the ceremonial Supreme Court, judges’ chambers, Ministry of Justice etc.
Even the trees in the Superior courts complex were planted under the strict stewardship of Dr. Jayewardene. Many others in his position would have wished to get their names inscribed in a prominent place in the court complex, but not Dr. Jayewardene. He was a true leader of the Bar.
Dr. Jayewardene was a keen student of law and great teacher who was always willing to share his knowledge with fellow members of the profession.
The large number of lawyers who learnt the intricacies of law in his chambers includes judges, politicians, senior practitioners, President’s Counsel and several others. The high calibre advocacy, meticulous chambers work and academic approach to any legal issue are some of the valuable lessons Dr. Jayewardene imparted to juniors under his wing.
As a lawyer who started my career at his chambers I am well aware of the hard work put in by Dr. Jayewardene in his clients’ cause and in several cases without any payment, prodeo. He enjoyed working with his juniors in chambers and ensured that they were well equipped to be exemplary in the profession.
The other contributions made by Dr. Jayewardene were not limited to the legal field. He held several important posts in the public and private sectors including that of Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation.
He also led the team that participated in the Thimpu talks to reconcile the burning issues of terrorism at that time.
He was a perfectionist and his achievements are far too many to mention in an appreciation.
He was a true Buddhist who followed the precepts of the Buddha in his own quiet way.
Dr. Jayewardene was a devoted husband and wonderful father. It is said that writers leave behind their books and teachers their students. It is a fact that Dr. Jayewardene, QC has been a large-hearted man and great guru to several in the legal profession.
May he attain Nirvana.
Harsha Cabral |
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