Christopher Weeramantry
|
|
It has been suggested that Islamic Jurisprudence: An International Perspective be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2010. |
| The Honourable Justice Sri Lankabhimanya Christopher Weeramantry |
|
|---|---|
| Christopher Weeramantry in June 2007 | |
| Vice President of the International Court of Justice | |
| In office 1997–2000 |
|
| Judge of the International Court of Justice | |
| In office 1991–2000 |
|
| Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 1967–1972 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 November 1926 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Alma mater | University of London, University of Ceylon, Royal College Colombo |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Profession | Barrister |
Justice Sri Lankabhimanya Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, AM (born 17 November 1926) was a Sri Lankan Judge and lawyer. He was the a former Judge of the International Court of Justice(ICJ) from 1991 to 2000, serving as Vice-President of the ICJ from 1997 to 2000. Justice Weeramantry was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka from 1967 to 1972.[1] He is currently an Emeritus Professor at Monash University.
Contents |
[edit] Education
Born 17 November 1926 in Colombo, Ceylon, he was educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo. Where he was a senior prefect, editor of the Royal College Magazine, Chairman Senior Literary Association and won many class and school prizes as well as the Governor’s Scholarship, Principal’s Prize and the Empire Essay Prize for 1943 awarded by the Royal Empire Society.
He gained a BA (Hons.) from the newly established University of Ceylon and went on to gain a LLB and a LLD from the University of London. After completing the law exams at the Colombo Law College, he took oaths as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon in 1948.
[edit] Career
Beginning his law practice in Colombo that went on till 1965. In 1965 he was appointed Commissioner of Assize, holding the post until 1967 when he was called to the bench as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. He retired from the Supreme Court in 1972 and moved to Australia where he became a Barrister, carrying out a consultancy practice for 18 years till 1990 in Victoria.
In 1991, he was appointed as a Judge of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, becoming its Vice President in 1997. He presided in his capacity as Vice-President of the ICJ over several important cases before the Court, including a case on the illegality of the use and threatened use of nuclear weapons.[2] From 2000 to 2002 he served the ICJ as an Ad hoc Judge.
Judge Weeramantry serves on the Legal and Human Rights Advisory Board of the Genetics Policy Institute and the President of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms.[3] In addition C.G. Weeramantry is a councillor of the World Future Council, and the Honorary Patron of the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL).
He is currently Emeritus Professor at Monash University, having previously served as Sir Hayden Starke's Chair of Law from 1972 to 1991.[4] A former Lecturer and Examiner at the Colombo Law College, he was a Member of the Council of Legal Education in Ceylon. Judge Weeramantry has also served as a visiting Professor at Harvard University (2000), University of Hong Kong (1989), University of Florida (1984), University of Colombo (1981), University of Papua New Guinea (1981), University of Stellenbosch (1979) and University of Tokyo (1978). He is an honorary Member of Advisory Committee of Environmental Law Institute and Chairman of the International Council, Institute of Sustainable Development, McGill University.
[edit] Honors and awards
Judge Weeramantry is a recipient of the following honours and awards:
Sri Lankabhimanya, the highest National Honour of Sri Lanka (2007).[5]
Right Livelihood Award (2007)[6]
UNESCO Prize for Peace Education (2006)[7][8]
Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM), 2003[9]
Deshamanya title from the Government of Sri Lanka.
Mohamed Sahabdeen Award for International Understanding in the SAARC Region (1993)
[edit] Honorary degrees
He has received several honorary degrees;[10]
University of London - Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa)
University of Colombo - Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa)
Monash University - Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa)
National Law School of India - Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa)[1]
[edit] Publications
Judge Weeramantry has authored the following books:
- Apartheid
- Armageddon
- Equality and Freedom
- Invitation to Law
- Islamic Jurisprudence: An International Perspective (1988) Macmillan, ISBN 0333446682
- Justice Without Frontiers 1
- Justice Without Frontiers 2
- The Lord's Prayer - Bridge to a better World
- NAURU
- Nuclear Weapons & Scientific Responsibility
- Slumbering Sentinels - Law in the wake of Technology
- The Law in Crisis - Bridges of Understanding
- Universalising International Law
- Call For National Reawakening
- Tread Lightly on the Earth - Religion, Environment and the Human Future[11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Curriculum Vitae". Weeramantry International Centre For Peace Education and Research. http://www.wicper.org/Judge's%20CV.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
- ^ "Keynote Speaker: Judge Christopher Weeramantry". Hiroshima-Nagasaki 2005: Global Hibakusha Film Festival. Tufts University Japanese Program. 2005. http://ase.tufts.edu/japanese/hiroshima-nagasaki2005/profile-judge.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
- ^ IALANA | achieving disarmament and peace through law
- ^ Roll of Emeritus Professors - Records and Archives - Monash University
- ^ "Conferred Sri Lankabhimanya". http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2007/12/02/new50.asp. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ^ Right Livelihood Award for Justice Christopher Weeramantry
- ^ "Sri Lankan judge Christopher Gregory Weeramantry wins UNESCO Prize for Peace Education". UNESCO Social and Human Sciences. 2006-09-22. http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=9665&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
- ^ "Right Livelihood Award: 2007 - Christopher Weeramantry". http://www.rightlivelihood.org/weeramantry.html. Retrieved 2007-10-04.
- ^ It's an Honour
- ^ Christopher Weeramantry
- ^ http://www.wicper.org/publication.htm
[edit] External links
- A Great Son of Lanka S. Pathiravitana (2007), Sri Lanka Daily News. Accessed 2007-11-08
- International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms
- German Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms
- Christopher Weeramantry-The 2007 Right Livelihood Award Recipients
- C. G. Weeramantry - of memories and memoirs yet unpublished
- Judge Christopher Weeramantry Public oration, University of London
- Right Livelihood Award
- 1926 births
- Living people
- International Court of Justice judges
- Supreme Court Justices of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lankan judges
- Sri Lankan lawyers
- Australian barristers
- Sinhalese people
- Anti–nuclear weapons movement
- Right Livelihood Award laureates
- Monash University faculty
- Alumni of the University of London
- Alumni of the University of Colombo
- Old Royalists
- Honorary Members of the Order of Australia
- People of British Ceylon