Justice Deepali Wijesundera displays great courage - BASL President

Sarath MALALASEKERA

Justice Deepali Wijesundera's experience as a judicial officer for over 28 years and more particularly in conducting criminal trials and appeals would have prepared her to discharge the duties of a judge, of this court, said Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President, President's Counsel Shibly Aziz delivering the welcome address at the ceremonial sitting held at the Supreme Court Complex to welcome the new Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Deepali Wijesundera recently.

Today the members of the judiciary and of the legal profession, at whatever level they are placed or in what country they serve, have a difficult task to perform. The public who are constantly watching us do not have the correct tools to measure our tasks-but sometimes, they make correct assessments and at other times are misunderstand. However, if the guiding beacon is to serve faithfully and in the main, the interests of justice and fairplay and these alone, we the lawyers and our judges can steer clear of some of the hurdles before us, the BASL President said.

"We are present here to accord a formal welcome to Justice Deepali Wijesundera as she ascends the Bench of the Court of Appeal, At a time like this she will recall with poignancy the devoted services to the State given by her father whilst in the Attorney General's Department and thereafter as Justice T.A.D.S. Wijesundera occupying his rightful and deserving place as a respected Judge of the Supreme Court," the BASL President said.

"I had the pleasure of serving, both in the civil division of the Attorney General's Department where Justice TADS Wijesundera supervised our work.as well as appearing before him as a judge of the Supreme Court. The judicial qualities displayed by Justice TADS Wijesundera will no doubt be a source of inspiration and guidance to Justice Deepali Wijesundera as she now embarks on the onerous and demanding role as a Judge of this prestigious court which has earned the respect of the discerning who interact with it regularly," the BASL President said.

Another personality who will undoubtedly inspire Justice Deepali Wijesundera will be the late V.S.A. Pullenayagum, an icon in the Attorney General's Department and one who served as a true role model to many of us. Justice Deepali Wijesundera served a period of time as a junior to Mr. Pullenayagum after he left the Department and was in private practice.

Justice Wijesundera will no doubt recall the immense knowledge Mr Pullenayagum possessed not only with regard to criminal law but also with the principles of public law, which knowledge he passed on to us as teachers always do.

Justice Deepali Wijesundera too would have gained much by being exposed to this, he added.

Justice Deepali Wijesundera always wanted to follow in her late father's footsteps and as a result was willing to forgo a place in the University to enter Law College, from where she entered the Profession in 1980.

The BASL President emphasised that Justice Deepali Wijesundera displayed great courage in serving distant areas beset with insurgency and soldiered on with the additional burden of having to bring up her daughter, which she did right through from the troubled and stressful days as judicial officer right up to the point where her daughter passed out as an Engineer with First Class Honours.

Looking back, the sacrifices made could be regarded as having been worth it.