Sir Edwin Arthur Lewis Wijewardena, KC (21 March 1887 – 1964) was the 28th Chief Justice of Ceylon. Educated at Ananda College, Colombo and

S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia , motto_translation = Be Thou Forever , song = Thomian Song , athletics = Yes , sports = Yes , nickname = Thora , denomination = Anglican , patron ...

, Wijewardena graduated from

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and qualified as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

. On his return to Ceylon he became an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

. He took the entrance exam for the

Ceylon Civil Service The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, was the premier civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule and in the immediate post-independence period. Established in 1833, it functioned as part of the ...

and passed, but was not admitted to failing the medical exam. He served as the

solicitor general of Ceylon The Solicitor General of Sri Lanka is a post subordinate to the Attorney General of Sri Lanka. The Solicitor General of Sri Lanka assists the Attorney General, and is assisted by four Additional Solicitors General. Note that the post was Solicit ...

from 1936 to 1938 and was appointed

King's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

. Appointed to the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, Wijewardena was appointed Chief Justice in 1949 succeeding the acting

Francis Soertsz Sir Francis Joseph Soertsz KC (14 March 1886 – 10 January 1951) was an Acting Chief Justice of Ceylon who served on three occasions in 1939, 1945 and 1946. Soertsz was born in 1886, the son of Francis William and Emily Josephine Soertsz. He wa ...

and was Chief Justice until 1950. He was succeeded by

Edward Jayetileke Sir Edward George Perera Jayetileke KC was the 29th Chief Justice of Ceylon as well as the 13th Solicitor General. He was appointed in 1950 succeeding Arthur Wijewardena and was Chief Justice until 1952. He was succeeded by Alan Rose. Jayetil ...

. He was knighted as a

Knights Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in the

1949 Birthday Honours The 1949 King's Birthday Honours were appointments by many of the Commonwealth Realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made "on the occasion o ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wijewardene, Arthur 1887 births 1964 deaths Governors-general of Ceylon Chief justices of Sri Lanka Puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Ceylon W Sinhalese judges 20th-century Sri Lankan people 19th-century Sri Lankan people Alumni of Ananda College Alumni of the University of Cambridge Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia Sinhalese civil servants Ceylonese Knights Bachelor Ceylonese Queen's Counsel Ceylonese advocates