Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke (11 May 1909 – 1989) was
Sri Lanka
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 ...
n politician, lawyer and diplomat. He was a former
Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture,
Member of Parliament and
Ceylon's High Commissioner to India. He was the
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the
University of Peradeniya.
Early life and education
Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke was born on 11 May 1909, the eldest son of
Sir Tikiri Bandara Panabokke Adigar, first Minister of Health in the
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time. It r ...
and Mantri Kumarihamy Keppetipola. He was educated at
Royal College Colombo and at the
Colombo Law College
Sri Lanka Law College (abbreviated as SLLC), formerly known as Ceylon Law College, is a law college, and the only legal institution where one can enroll as a attorney-at-law in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1874, under the then Council of Legal ...
. As his father, he became a
Proctor
Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.
The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:
* In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
and practiced in
Gampola.
Political career
In 1947 he successfully contested the
first parliamentary elections as a representative of
United National Party in the
Galaha electorate. He received 7,638 votes (28% of the total vote) defeating five other candidates. At the
2nd parliamentary election, held in May 1952, he retained his seat, defeating
Piyasena Tennakoon by 4,606 votes (securing 48% of the total vote). He was a Member of Parliament from 1947 to 1956 and held the post of
Parliamentary secretary to the
Minister of Justice in the
first Dudley Senanayake cabinet and Parliamentary secretary to the
Minister of Agriculture and Food in the
Kotelawala cabinet. During this time he was a member of the ''Kandyan Peasantry Commission'' and was appointed as Chairman of the
People’s Bank in 1965. He failed to get re-elected at the
3rd parliamentary election held in April 1956, where he was defeated by the
Sri Lanka Freedom Party
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය, translit=Śrī Laṁkā Nidahas Pakṣaya; ta, இலங்கை சுதந்திரக் கட்சி, translit=Ilaṅkai Cutantirak Ka ...
nominee,
T. B. Ilangaratne
Navaratne Rajakaruna Wasala Mudiyanselage Tikiri Bandara Ilangaratne (27 February 1913 – 21 May 1992), popularly as T. B. Ilangaratne, was a Sri Lankan politician, author, dramatist, and theater actor. He was a Member of Parliament for K ...
, 6,434 votes, only receiving 38% of the total vote, as opposed to Ilangaratne's 61%.
From 1976 to 1977 he was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sri Lanka Freedom from Hunger Campaign. In 1978 he was appointed High Commissioner to India and served till 1982, thus becoming the only father son pair to hold the post. From 1984 to 1986 he was Chairman of the Nation Builders’ Association.
He was appointed
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the
University of Peradeniya in 1984 and held office until his death in 1989.
Family
Panabokke married Somawathie Nugapitiya, daughter of Kuda Banda Nugapitiya in 1939 and had two daughters. His home was Elpitiya Walauwa in
Gampola.
Elpitiya Walauwa
/ref>
See also
* Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panabokke, Theodore Braybrooke
1909 births
1989 deaths
Sinhalese lawyers
Ceylonese proctors
Alumni of Royal College, Colombo
Parliamentary secretaries of Ceylon
Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon
Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon
High Commissioners of Sri Lanka to India