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| Friday, 25 February 2005 |
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by Sarath Malalasekera The Bench and the Bar welcomed the new two Supreme Court Judges, Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunga and Justice Saleem Marsoof, PC at the ceremonial sitting held at the Superior Courts Complex recently. Associated on the Bench with Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, PC, were Justice Dr. Shirani A. Bandaranayake, Justice T. B. Weerasuriya, Justice Nihal Jayasinghe, Justice Shirani Tillekewardene, Justice N.K. Udalagama, Justice Nimal E. Dissanayake, Justice Raja Fernando, Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunga and Justice Saleem Marsoof PC. President Court of Appeal and other Judges of the Court of Appeal, High Court Judges, Judges of the Colombo District Court, Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional Magistrates were accommodated on the dias. Registrar of the Supreme Court Bandula Atapattu officiated. Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana, President's Counsel, Court of Appeal Registrar Ms. M. M. Jayasekera, Senior and Junior members of the Official and Unofficial Bar, members of the families of the two Judges were present at the ceremony. Attorney-General K.C. Kamalasabeyson PC addressing the ceremonial sittings said: On occasions such as this, a welcome speech is not merely a courteous gesture or an exercise in polite pleasantry. It is a sincere expression by the Members of the Bar of their goodwill and best wishes on the assumption by Your Lordships of the high judicial office in our country. Today, I am performing a very pleasant task in welcoming both judges, not only because of your elevation to this apex court but also in view of the long association I have had with you for more than 30 years, from the commencement of your careers in the Attorney-General's Department. I am personally aware of Your Lordships' extensive knowledge, competence and dedication both as Counsel and as Judges. Never reluctant to undertake complex cases, you have proved yourselves as assets in the institutions that you have so far served. The vast experience and knowledge that Your Lordships have acquired would undoubtedly stand in good stead to enable Your Lordships to discharge the functions as judges of this court. Justice Amaratunga obtained your first degree in law from the University of Colombo and was enrolled as an Advocate in 1972. You also hold two degrees in Master of Laws, one on the Law of Evidence from the University of Colombo and the other on International Law and Shipping Law from the prestigious United Nations International Maritime Institute in Malta, where you received an award for producing the most outstanding essay. In 1978 Justice Amaratunga was appointed a State Counsel, and was promoted Senior State Counsel in 1988. In the Attorney-General's Department you handled a large volume of both civil and criminal work. You meticulously prepared your cases and was thorough with your brief. You enjoyed the reputation as one of the most competent counsel from the official Bar. Despite this excellent reputation, many were surprised when you accepted the appointment as a Judge of the High Court in 1994. In this capacity you were regarded as one of the ablest trial judges in our original courts. It is no exaggeration to say that there was hardly anything an accused appellant was able to urge in the Appellate Courts against the judgements. In the normal course Justice Amaratunga was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. In this Court you were able to effectively utilise the experience you gathered in the Attorney-General's Department and in the High Court by handling both civil and criminal cases. The several judgments that you have delivered as an Appellate Judge bear ample testimony to Your Lordship's commitment, thoroughness and the extensive knowledge of the law. Justice Amaratunga was always conscious of the fact that the counsel before you were only discharging their professional duties and that they were entitled to a hearing, however weak their cases may be. Always courteous and patient you never refused a hearing and treated both juniors and seniors alike. Appearing before Your Lordship was always a pleasant experience and no counsel or litigant let your court with the impression that justice was not done. Justice Saleem Marsoof obtained the Degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1971 from the University of Ceylon. You were awarded the Gate Mudaliar Edmund Peiris Prize and the law scholarship for academic excellence. You also obtained a Masters Degree in Law from the University of Colombo in Administrative Law and a Masters Degree in Law from the University of San Diego, California, USA with concentration in International Trade Law. You were enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law in June 1974 and appointed a State Counsel in 1975. In the Attorney-General's Department you functioned exclusively in the civil division but from time to time you were especially assigned to handle extradition cases. As a senior officer in the department you have handled a large volume of complicated and sensitive cases, many of which are reported in our law reports. You also had the unique distinction of appearing before the International Center for the settlement of the Investment Disputes in Washington and obtaining an award in favour of the Government of Sri Lanka. Your Lordship was appointed Additional Solicitor-General in 1998 and President's Counsel in the same year. In view of high academic attainments and the contributions you made both as a counsel and writer towards the development of the law, you were appointed President of the Court of Appeal. In this capacity you soon won the admiration of the members of the Bar for the excellent manner in which you handled the work load in this court. Within a very short period you acquired the reputation as a Judge with ideal judicial temperament. Justice Amaratunga and Justice Marsoof willingly shared your legal knowledge with the younger generation by accepting appointments as visiting lecturers both in the University of Colombo and the Sri Lanka Law College. We have no doubt that your contribution from this apex court would enrich the legal literature of this country. Two judges have always enjoyed the respect and affection of the Bar and it is indeed a matter of great satisfaction that you are now appointed to this exalted position. "On behalf of the Bar I wish to congratulate and assure you our fullest co-operation. I wish you a successful tenure in office, excellent health and happiness," the Attorney General said. |
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