Law and Business Administration programs at ANC

By Dr Dayanath Jayasuriya, President's Counsel

ANC Education launched its School of Postgraduate Education in 2012, on the eve of its tenth year of existence as a provider of private education. The Vice Chancellor of the University of West London and the head of the Ealing Law School were here to enter into a new partnership with ANC to master of laws and master of business administration programs.

It was over one hundred and fifty years ago that the Introduction of Law of England Ordinance No. 5 of 1852 (commonly known as the Civil Law Ordinance) was enacted, introducing English law as the law applicable to most commercial matters.

Two well known commentators on South African law (Hahlo and Khan) have expressed in graphic terms the introduction of English law into South Africa and their observations apply to Sri Lanka as well:

"Some English institutions marched into our law openly along the highway of legislative enactment, to the sound of brass bands of Royal Commissions and public discussion. Others slipped into it quietly and unobtrusively alongside roads and by paths."

Justice Tambiah in Silva v. Johanis Appuhamy 67 NLR 457 cited the above passage with approval and added that, "The English Law governing certain topics on Mercantile Law was bodily introduced into Ceylon by statute law.

There are other statutes which are either replicas or close imitations of English Statutes. In interpreting statutes, naturally, English decisions have to be resorted to."