Hector Wilfred Jayewardene

Who was Hector Wilfred Jayewardene?

Hector Wilfred Jayewardene, QC was a prominent Sri Lankan lawyer. In 1979 he was chairman of a UNESCO conference on human rights in Bangkok and later chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. He was member at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Born to Justice Eugene Wilfred Jayewardene, KC and Agnes Helen Don Philip Wijewardena, he was the younger brother of J R Jayewardene, former President of Sri Lanka. Educated at the prestigious Royal College Colombo, he studied law at the Colombo Law College and was called to the bar in 1941. Jayewardene quickly gained a reputation as a trail lawyer thus becoming the youngest person to be named to the prestigious position of Queen's Counsel in 1954.

Jayewardene was elected to many high positions within the Sri Lankan Legal profession, such as the President Sri Lanka Bar Association, First President Law Association, President Organization of Professionals Association. He was also the Vice President Commonwealth Law Association. In 1985 he was award an honorary LLD from the University of Colombo.