Ukwatte Jayasundera

Sir Ukwatte Acharige Jayasundera KCMG KBE QC was a prominent Ceylonese criminal lawyer and politician.[1]

Born in Kalutara, Jayasundera was educated at Sri Sumangala College, Panadura, he was the first in the school to gain admission to the Ceylon Law College and to become an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon.[2] He developed a successful practice as a criminal lawyer and was appointed a King's Counsel.

Political career

He was elected the first General Secretary of the United National Party, and was appointed to the Senate of Ceylon.[3][4] Following the unexpected death of D. S. Senanayake on 22 March 1952, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke and Sir Ukwatte Jayasundera negotiated within the party the successful succession of his son Dudley Senanayake to the post of Prime Minister of Ceylon.[5] In his capacity as party general secretary he advised Sir John Kotelawala, who had succeeded Dudley Senanayake as Prime Minister to call for early elections in 1956, before the end of the parliamentary term, resulting in an unprecedented defeat of the United National Party by Mahajana Eksath Peramuna lead by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike.[6]

Honors

Appointed a King's Counsel, he was made a Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1950 New Year Honours. He was knighted in the 1951 Birthday Honours and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1955 Birthday Honours for political and public services.[7]

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See also

References
  1. "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
  2. Fernando, Professor Ravindra. "Sri Sumangala College Panadura". Island. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  3. Sri Sumangala College Panadura
  4. UNP makes steady progress - Tissa Attanayake
  5. "Where are the people". Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  6. "Sri Lankan democracy at the crossroads". Island. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  7. "FOURTH SUPPLEMENT TO The London Gazette OF FRIDAY, 3rd JUNE, 1955" (PDF). The London Gazette. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
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