OBITUARY – PRASANNA NIMAL WIKRAMANAYAKE. KC (11 August 1933 – 20 December 2023) – By Hugh Karunanayake Nimal Wikramanayake, KC, eminent lawyer and the only Asian born Kings Counsel in Australia, passed away on 20 December at a private nursing home where he was recuperating following surgery. He celebrated his 90th birthday just a few months ago. Born in Colombo as the second son to EG(Guy) Wikramanayake, a leading counsel in Colombo in his day, Nimal schooled at S Thomas College, Mount Lavinia. On leaving school, unlike his elder brother Ranji a well known endocrinologist in Sydney, Nimal chose to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers. His paternal grandfather Edward Beauchamp was a lawyer himself, but it was Edward Beuchamp’s two sons Eric Bird, and Emil Guy, who created legal history by being granted silk, the only instance in Sri Lanka of two brothers being appointed Kings Counsel. Nimal’s ...
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PORTRAIT OF NIMAL WIKRAMANAYAKE KC UNVEILED IN VICTORIAN BAR ASSOCIATION CHAMBERS Ross Howie KC who unveiled the portrait. A ceremony attended by many of the leading judges, silks, and lawyers of the Victorian Bar was held at the Bar Association’s Peter O’ Callaghan Gallery on 17 July 2023. It was presided over by the Chairperson of the Victorian Bar’s Arts and Collection committee Siobhan Ryan KC who called upon retired County Court Judge Ross Howie KC to unveil the portrait of Nimal Wikramanayake KC. Judge Howie spoke at length on Nimal’s legal career and the resolute manner in which he overcame obstacles on his way to the top of his profession. Nimal remains the only lawyer from an Asian background to be granted silk in Australia. He now enjoys the added distinction of being the only lawyer from an Asian background to have his portrait unveiled in the Bar ...
A LIFE IN THE LAW – NIMAL WIKRAMANAYAKE (BOOK REVIEW) – By Hugh Karunanayake NIMAL WIKRAMANAYAKE QC– “A LIFE IN THE LAW” Published by Hybrid Publishers, Melbourne, Victoria ISBN: 9781925736762(p) 9781925736779(e) ( Available at the publishers Ormond, VIC 3204, P.O. Box 52 Tel: (03) 9504 3462) Nimal Wikramanayake QC ’s autobiographical memoir “A LIFE IN THE LAW” ‘ has all the ingredients necessary for it to join the ranks of the best sellers. I say this despite the fact that his book concerns a specialised subject viz law, and speciality areas are generally not for the general reader. This book however is different. It is a “no holds barred” story of the inner workings of the almost highly cloistered workings of the legal profession in Victoria. Written in a an easy-to-read style laced with humour and scores of personal anecdotes to illustrate the essence of his message, it’s ...
