Mr. Sam Wijesinghe, a respected figure in Sri Lankan governance, embarked on a remarkable journey from his humble beginnings in a quaint village to the corridors of power. He received his early education at Wijeya Maha Vidyalaya, Rahula College, Matara, Ananda College,Colombo, and St. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia, where he distinguished himself as a leader, scholar, and sportsman.
After graduating from London University in 1944, Mr. Wijesinghe pursued a legal education at Ceylon Law College and qualified as a barrister at law. He furthered his studies at McGill University, Canada, earning an LLM. Beginning his career as Crown Counsel in 1948, he served with distinction at the esteemed Attorney General’s Department for over 15 years.
In 1964, Mr. Wijesinghe assumed the pivotal role of Clerk to the House of Representatives, marking the genesis of his enduring association with the legislative realm. He played a crucial role as the Secretary of the Constituent Assembly, which crafted the foundation of Sri Lanka’s republican constitution. In 1972, when Ceylon became the Republic of Sri Lanka, he played a major role in drafting the new constitution. With the establishment of a unicameral legislature, he was appointed the first Secretary General of Parliament.
During his tenure as Secretary General of Parliament, Mr. Wijesinghe led with unparalleled dignity and fervor for nearly two decades, overseeing transformative legislative endeavors that reshaped Sri Lanka’s democratic ethos. Beyond parliament, his altruistic ethos found expression in his role as Sri Lanka’s first Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman), where he championed administrative accountability and citizen rights for a decade. Later, he served as Chancellor of the Open University.
Though he passed away in 2014 at the venerable age of 93, Mr. Wijesinghe's spirit lives on, immortalized in the enduring fabric of Sri Lanka’s democratic tapestry. As we commemorate his illustrious life, let us honor his memory by rededicating ourselves to the noble pursuit of service and stewardship in the service of our nation and its people.
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