Sir Gerard Wijeyekoon (5 May 1878 – 21 September 1952) was a

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

ese lawyer and a politician. He was the first President of the

Senate of Ceylon The Senate was the upper chamber of the parliament of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1947 by the Soulbury Commission. The Senate was appointed and indirectly elected rather than directly elected. It was housed in the old Legislative Counci ...

. Born Abraham Charles Gerard Wijeyekoon, he was educated at

Wesley College, Colombo Wesley College, Colombo, popularly known as "Wesley" or "The Double Blues" is a school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka since 1874. Wesley College is a Methodist educational institution. History In 1858, Rev. Joseph Ri ...

and

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janua ...

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, ...

of the Supreme Court in 1902. He served as a

Crown Counsel Crown counsel are lawyers, generally in Common Law jurisdictions, who provide advice to the government and acts as prosecutors in cases. In various jurisdictions their title can vary and they could also be known as the Queen's Advocate, King's Advo ...

Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

and District Judge and was elected to the

Legislative Council of Ceylon The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of British Ceylon, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first f ...

in 1921 from the Central Province. 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

1941 New Year Honours The 1941 New Year Honours were appointments by King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were announced on 31 December 1940.United Kingdom and Britis ...

list, for public services in Ceylon. His sons were both Oxford educated lawyers. The eldest

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

H.W.G. Wijeyekoon Major General Hemachandra Wickrama Gerard Wijeyekoon, Order of the British Empire, OBE, Efficiency Decoration, ED (25 June 1911 – April 1969) was a Sri Lankan Officer (armed forces), military leader and diplomat. He was the second Ceylones ...

was the second Ceylonese Commander of the Ceylon Army and the youngest Neville Wijeyekoon was the founding Chairman of the Ceylon Ceramic Corporation.Tribute to Neville Wijeyekoon on his death anniversary
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References

20th-century Sri Lankan people 1878 births 1952 deaths Alumni of Royal College, Colombo Alumni of Wesley College, Colombo Ceylonese Knights Bachelor Presidents of the Senate of Ceylon Members of the Legislative Council of Ceylon Ceylonese advocates Sinhalese lawyers Sinhalese politicians {{CentralLK-politician-stub