Justice Balapatabendi takes oaths as Chairman, Bribery Corruption
Sarath MALALASEKERA
Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Jagath Balapatabendi, yesterday
took oaths before Chief Justice Asoka de Siva, as the new Chairman of
the Bribery and Corruption Department.
Two Commissioners, former IGP Jayantha Wickremaratne and former
Justice L K Wimalachandra also took their oaths before the Chief
Justice.
Justice Jagath Balapatabendi, an old boy of Richmond College, Galle
and Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya, excelled in sports and captained
the college athletic team in 1963 and represented Richmond College in
the Southern Province Group Meets and public sports contests where he
won several trophies.
After successfully completing his academic career at school, he
joined the Ceylon Law College. While at Law College, Justice
Balapatabendi showed his concern for the poor litigants and involved
himself in providing legal assistance to them. In recognition of his
work, he was awarded a certificate by the Student Legal Aid Programme in
1971. He was the vice president of the Sinhala Union of the Law College
in 1970.
The new Chairman of the Commission joined the legal profession in
March 1973. Later he joined the Attorney General's Department as a young
State Counsel. He joined the judiciary as a magistrate and later as a
District Judge and High Court Judge in 1995.
He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2001 and later to the
Supreme Court.
Justice Balapatabendi had attended several, important seminars
locally and internationally including the "Visitor's Programme" held in
England, sponsored by the British High Commission and the workshop on
"Access to Justice" at the Judges Institute in Bopal, New Delhi. |
