Senior attorney Vernon Botejue no more

Vernon Botejue, a senior attorney who counts over 60 years at the bar, passed away yesterday after a brief illness.

Remembered along with S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Philip Gunawardena in the struggle to make Sinhala the official language of the courts, Botejue’s interest in this area went back to his days at S Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia.  

Vernon had a distinguished school career winning the Mollamure Prize for History of Ceylon and the Special Prize for General Knowledge of Ceylon in 1942. After leaving school he was an active member of the OBA of his alma mater and served for several years on the Executive Committee and held office as Vice President for more than two years including the Centenary Year of 1986-87. At the Ceylon Law College Vernon won the coveted ‘Hector Jayewardene Gold Medal’ for oratory in 1948. The other contenders that year included G.F. Sethukavalar PC and C.G. Weeramanthri who later adorned the World Court Bench.

When Botejue completed 60 years of active practice as an Attorney-at-Law on 1 December 2009, reaching the ‘Diamond Jubilee’ of his legal career, he was presented a commemorative plaque by then Chief Justice Asoka de Silva on behalf of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka that was celebrating its own Silver Jubilee that year.

He was widely recognised by all as an attorney- at-law with an unblemished record of service for over 50 years, a complete human with exemplary honesty and integrity and endowed with a charismatic personality.  

He has often been described as an institution of Mount Lavinia although he has appeared in almost every court in the country including the Supreme Court.

In 1957 he was elected to the Urban Council of Kotte as the member for Nugegoda. He was elected Vice Chairman and often served as the Acting Chairman of Kotte till 1959. In the same year he led a delegation of the All Ceylon Harbour and Dock Workers Union and participated in the May Day Rally in Peking.

In his Lionistic career Vernon had the distinction of being the first Sri Lankan Lion to win the Top Ten Plaque, the highest award of the Lions Clubs International for International Understanding and Co-operation’ in 1973-74. He was elected unanimously as the District Governor of Lions District 306A Sri Lanka for 1980-81 and was sworn into office at the International Convention in Chicago. He was elected the Chairman of the Council of Governors, the apex body of Sri Lanka, for 1981-82. He was awarded the International Presidents Gold Medal in 1980 for his outstanding contribution to the development of Lions Clubs International and service to the community. He is also a Melvin Jones Fellow of the Lions Clubs International.

Botejue has received International recognition, being selected for inclusion and biographical reference in the 1985 edition of the ‘Men of Achievement’ published throughout the world by the International Biographical Association Cambridge England and was elected a ‘Fellow of the Association’ in December 1985.