Ceremonial welcome to Supreme Court Judge

Wasantha Ramanayake

COLOMBO: Newly appointed Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Andrew Somawansa was welcomed at a ceremonial sitting of the Supreme Court, yesterday.

The ceremonial sitting was presided by Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC and a distinguish gathering of Judges of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, District Judges and the Judges of the Magistrate's Court, the Attorney General, the President of the Bar Association and President's Counsel and the members of the official and unofficial Bar welcomed Justice Andrew Somawansa to the Supreme Court.

Justice Somawansa in his ceremonial address to the Court said that the three Justices on the Bench had their early education at the Trinity College Kandy and the three of them happened to share the same dormitory.

"In fact three of us were in the same dormitory and his Lordship the Chief Justice and I happened to be in the same class. However, none of us think in our wildest dreams ever dreamt that we would occupy a seat in the Apex Court of this country or that one would be the Chief Justice."

Justice Somawansa observed that the establishment of the Provincial Appeal Court was delayed since the parliamentarians were divided on the issue.

The 18 Amendments to the Constitution was made to address the backlog of appeals pending in the Court of Appeal. He stated there was a bottleneck with 12,000 pending cases and nearly 20 appeals being filed every day.

He noted that 18th Amendment was formulated to increase the Judges and to decentralise the work in the Court of Appeal. "Unfortunately the honoured elected representatives of the people as usual have agreed to disagree and to be divided on this issue. To make matters worse the vacancy that occurred in April last year was not filled up for more than a year.

Justice Somawansa observed that the public confidence in the judiciary was eroding and law delays being one among many others. Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabeyson PC, in his address welcoming Justice Somawansa regarded Justice Somawansa as a "deeply religious person" who was able to discharge his duties without fear or favour guided by his religious beliefs."

It is no exaggeration to say that the judicial temperament, courtesy and fairness that you have exhibited during your career as a judicial officer flow from the guidance that your Lordship derive from the Holy Scriptures."

Bar Association President Nihal Jayamanne PC in his welcome address noted that Justice Somawansa was born to a devout Christian family in Kurunegala and was awarded the "Swarna Hasthi Pranamaya" from the Diocese of Kurunegala.

He added that Justice Somawansa was a member of the Benches that heard famous Trials-at-Bar of Krishnathi Kumaraswamy rape case and murder and Sadeep Lakshan abduction and murder case.

Registrar of the Supreme Court Bandula Attapattu officiated.