Colombo Uni. Faculty of Law alumni holds 75th anniversary tomorrow

The Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law, established in 1998, seeks to form the link between its past graduates and the faculty and realise a number of objectives including the promotion of educational, professional and employment interests of students.

The association has organised a dinner on 22 September at Imperial Monarch, Sri Jayewardenepura to celebrate the 75th year of the faculty and as a fundraiser for the Education Trust set up by the Association to provide financial assistance to students.

The Faculty of Law has its origins in the Department of Law set up in July 1947 as part of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. The Department of Law was brought to Colombo in 1965 as part of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ceylon and was upgraded in 1967 to become the only Faculty of Law in the University of Ceylon. The University of Ceylon, Colombo became the University of Colombo in 1978. 

The original academic staff of the Department of Law of the University of Ceylon, included Sir Ivor Jennings, a leading constitutional expert and the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, Justice Francis Soertsz Q.C., Professor T. Nadarajah and Justice (Dr.) H. W. Tambiah Q.C. The very first batch of four students of the Department of Law was equally distinguished and consisted of Deshamanya R.K.W. Goonesekere, who later served as the Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya and Principal of Sri Lanka Law College, Shiva Pasupati, who was later Attorney General, Ana Seneviratne, who became the Inspector General of Police, and Hema Rupasinghe, who became a prominent advocate. The Chairs held by Justice Soertsz, QC., Emeritus Professors Prof. T. Nadarajah, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Prof. Savithri Goonesekere and Prof. Sharya Scharenguivel, have no doubt contributed immensely to the esteem in which the faculty is held today.  They together with the Deans, Heads of Department and the academic staff have shaped the lives of approximately 7,000 students over the 75 years.

Today, the Faculty of Law accommodates 320 undergraduates a year and at its helm is Prof. Sampath Punchihewa, the Dean. As the Faculty moves into its 76th year under the leadership of Prof. Punchihewa, the Alumni Association plans to increase its efforts to support the students to obtain a world class degree and make its graduates ready for the world of work.

The Alumni Association requests all its alumni and well-wishers of the faculty to join them on 22 September to celebrate and support the Association to make a meaningful contribution to the faculty.