Donald Quintus Sirimane:

A legal luminary who adorned Lake House

The 100th birth anniversary of former Consultant Director of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., the late Justice D.Q.M. Sirimane fell on Friday.

Sirimane was the Consultant Director Legal for over a decade from 1977 where his expertise was sought by journalists in the interpretation of the law.

Donald Quintus Mervyn Sirimane was born on June 20, 1914. His father was Albert. G. Sirimane, Crown Proctor, Balapitiya and his mother was Charlotte Sirimane (nee Perera), a housewife. He was the fifth of nine children in a family whose roots were in Bentara-Elpitiya.

He married Winnie Ameresinghe and had four children, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He received his primary and secondary education at Royal College, Colombo, from where he joined the Law College, to come first in the first and the final examinations and qualified with honours in 1936. He was enrolled as a Proctor of the Supreme Court on March 25, 1939.

He practised at Balapitiya and served as Crown Proctor there, as did his father and grand uncle Adrian Sirimane before him. His brother was the late Justice A.L.S.Sirimane, a Supreme Court Judge and one of the first members of the Court of Appeal, the highest appellate court in the island at the time.

In 1956 he joined the Judiciary and served as Magistrate, Chief Magistrate and District Judge in various parts of the island. He was promoted to the Special Grade of the Judiciary in 1968.

Thereafter, he was elevated as a Commissioner of Assize and on January 5, 1973 he was appointed a Puisne Justice.

The Attorney General at the time, later Chief Justice, Victor Tennekoon welcoming him to the Bench said that "it was a landmark in the history of the Supreme Court and Proctors' profession", since he was the first proctor to have risen to that high position, and predicted that he would make a notable contribution on the bench.

He was appointed a member of the Criminal Justice Commission (Exchange Frauds). Former Attorney General Sunil Silva PC serving as State Counsel leading evidence before the Commission had this said',

"Mr. Sirimane displayed the epitome of judicial independence. He never questioned the competence of the Legislature to formulate laws and procedures at the same time he yielded to none, not even the mightiest in the land, a right to trespass into his province of determining the persons against whom the law should be activated".

When he retired from the Supreme Court, the state availed itself of his legal expertise as a Consultant Director of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Donald as he was known to many, was a man for all seasons. He joined as a volunteer counsellor at the Sri Lanka Sumithrayo in 1977 and was Chairman of the Council and later Joint Director of the Organisation.

In the words of Joan de Mel, "...he never held himself aloof from people and always had time for everyone, however unimportant they may be considered in the worldly sense....".

As a husband and father he was loving and diligently dutiful, providing moral strength and material comforts to the entire family including support to his unmarried sisters throughout their lives.

Holidays out of Colombo during court vacation were a regular feature. His hospitality was amazing.

Birthdays and Christmas lunch were times for a lavish spread given with a glad and generous heart. Whenever he visited his grandchildren he would always bring chocolates or some dinky toy that would make them happy.

He was by far their favourite grandparent!

He believed in a daily morning walk and enjoyed to a glass of king coconut water in the evening. He played the piano and would read Agatha Christie, James Hadley Chase and P.G. Wodehouse collections in his leisure time.

As a Buddhist, he was always in search of peace of mind and tranquility. He achieved this by his interest in and study of the Abidhamma which was reflected in the aura surrounding him.

He died on January 27, 1989 after a brief illness.

At a ceremonial sitting of the Supreme Court on 6th February 1989,

the then Chief Justice, Parinda Ranasinghe said:

"The late Justice D.Q.M. Sirimane will be long remembered by the Bench and Bar as a 'model judge' blessed with an ideal judicial temperament.

There was in him a rare combination of three of the most outstanding characteristics which mark out an eminent and outstanding judge-a thorough grasp of the principles relating to the many and varied branches of the law, an unfailing fountain of courtesy to all those who appeared before him and the undoubted ability to act fearlessly and dispense even-handed justice.

Always impeccably and immaculately dressed, he was a man of unruffled and serene disposition.

He was indeed one of the finest gentlemen who ever graced the Bench of this island." H.L. De Silva PC, the then President of the Bar Association said:

"As a judge of this court he functioned with great acceptance and displayed to a high degree a sound appreciation of legal principles and a certain sureness of touch when dealing with complex issues of fact, a skill which he had undoubtedly acquired by reason of his long experience as a trial judge and a practitioner in the trial courts."

In the 25 years past, not a day goes by without a thought of him.

His words of wisdom on the transient nature of this life and to practise tolerance are firmly implanted in us. To have a father such as him has been the greatest blessing we have ever received. May he rest in peace!

Dilukshi Sirimane