To have had the opportunity to know and be associated with Mr. John Eardley Russel Perera, President’s Counsel is an honour, a privilege and a pleasure. He was a legend.
An extremely popular leader of the Bar, an outstanding criminal lawyer of all times, a wonderful gentleman, a loving and much-loved human being, he was one who lived his life to its fullest. He was born on October 20 1925 in Moratuwa as the third son of the Late Mr. and Mrs. C.S.A. Perera of Uyana, Moratuwa. Though he later moved to Park Road out of necessity, it is Moratuwa that he loved most and, lived most of his life in. He always remained a faithful son of Moratuwa and it is there at the cemetery of St. Joseph’s Church, that his mortal remains now lie, according to his wishes.
Eardley Perera started his schooling at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo 7. He therefore calls himself an ‘Old Boy’ of that girls’ school. He even mischievously threatened at times to exercise his right to attend the meetings of its Old-Girl PPA. Except for the short period he spent at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo from where he passed his London Intermediate in Arts Examination, the rest of his school education was received at the nearby St. Sebastian’s College, an institution which commanded his loyalty, until the time of his demise.
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| President’s Counsel Eardley Perera |
Mr. Perera took to the law, as the proverbial duck takes to water and, entered the then Ceylon Law College in 1944. His father was a respected Proctor of the Supreme Court and Notary Public, while his uncle Andrew Silva was a leading practitioner at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. His brother Herman J.C. Perera too entered the Proctor’s profession like their father.
Mr. Perera was admitted to the Bar on August 24 1948, after passing his Advocates’ Examinations and the period of his apprenticeship in the Chambers of Mr. Nihal Gunasekera. Before long, as a young counsel he was very much in demand, initially in Panadura, Colombo South (now ‘Mt. Lavinia’) and in Colombo, and later in the other parts of the country as well. At the peak of his career, he commanded such a busy practice that it was usual for him to appear in several courts in a day, rushing from one to the other. There was probably no court in the length and breadth of this country that he had not appeared at one time or the other.
He had a sharp analytical mind, an unparalleled mastery of facts, a perfect memory, a thorough knowledge of men and matters, excellent skills of Advocacy and an unfailing courtesy to the Bench and his colleagues, all of which collectively assured him success in abundance as a trial lawyer. It was his thoroughness and meticulous preparation, coupled with his confidence in himself and in God that made him appear so relaxed, despite his heavy work schedule.
In his own words, he would “come whistling” to court. He had the mood and the time to exchange pleasantries with his colleagues and others whom he met, even on the mornings of his busiest days. These qualities endeared him immensely not only to his peers and seniors, but also to the numerous unknown juniors who were fortunate to meet him. He was by far the most popular leader of the Bar of his time and it was no surprise that he was elected uncontested in 1977 as the second President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), a rare honour indeed. After the passing away of Dr. H.W. Jayawardene Q.C., Mr. Perera remained for years the senior most Past President of the BASL. His brother Mr. Herman J.C. Perera too was later elected to the same post, becoming up to now the only former Proctor to have adorned that office.
It was a foregone conclusion that he would be called upon to take silks. It is said that he was offered in 1967 the honour of being appointed Queen’s Counsel, which he had declined then. He was an inevitable choice for the honour of being appointed among the first batch of silks (then known as “Senior Attorneys” and later changed to “President’s Counsel”) in 1978, when that practice was re-commenced under the new Constitution of that year.
His better-known eminence and popularity as a lawyer may have overshadowed his more important personal qualities, as a thorough gentleman and a wonderful human being. His boundless generosity, willingness to help others, simplicity and charm, made him one of the most loved men. To match his razor-edged mind and stentorian voice, he also possessed a heart of gold.
One had only to see how he treated his domestic aides and chauffeurs to feel some measure of his kindness and simplicity. At a Club, Hotel or any other institution he was as friendly with the members of the minor staff as much as he was with its top Managers. At the Colombo Law Library which was a common Chamber for all Advocates then, his favourite was old "Romanis" whom he had come to know in their early days. To his juniors he always remained a guide, friend, companion and an eternal host. They were a privileged lot and the envy of their contemporaries.
Despite his extensive professional, social and business life Mr. Perera remained a “home-bird”, happiest in the company of his wife and children and in the warmth of their comfortable home. After their marriages, he would often invite his children and their families and, enjoy the happiness that only an extended family could bring a grandfather. He was much loved by his grandchildren, whom he pampered endlessly. He loved his friends and relatives whose company he relished and together with his wife often found some excuse to shower them with hospitality. Even on a normal evening, it was not unusual to see him surrounded by a handful of his near and dear, with whom he loved to wine, dine and “yarn”, to use his own word.
He was a devout Catholic and was, in his Park Road days, a regular worshipper at the St. Theresa’s Church. On his birthday before last he made a pilgrimage to Velankanni, with his family, foregoing his usual Birthday bash. He was undeterred by the many by-pass surgeries that he had to undergo and the numerous medical interventions. He loved his puffs (he claimed he was smoking “on medical advice”) and his evening ‘shots’, which in later years were a matter of a few drops.
A person such as Mr. Perera would have had numerous events and moments that he would have cherished. But there were three recent special occasions which I am sure would have been closest to his heart. They were the Felicitation Dinner organised by his juniors some years ago, the Felicitation Dinner organised by the BASL on the occasion of his completing fifty years at the Bar and the “surprise party” his family organized on his 75th birthday.
He shall be etched
in our memories
Chief Justice Asoka De Silva will unveil the bust of Eardley Perera at the Colombo Law Library on January 18. |
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