{"id":157644,"date":"2026-08-03T13:16:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T20:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=157644"},"modified":"2026-08-03T13:17:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T20:17:36","slug":"death-of-senior-lawyer-j-c-chula-boange-an-appreciation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/08\/03\/death-of-senior-lawyer-j-c-chula-boange-an-appreciation\/","title":{"rendered":"Death of Senior Lawyer J.C. (“Chula”) Boange -An Appreciation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chula Boange soon after taking oaths<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

J.C. (Chula) Boange, Attorney \u2013 at \u2013 Law, died on July 20th<\/sup> 2026. He was 77 years old. His remains were cremated within 24 hours of his passing according to his wishes, without the usual trappings of rituals, ceremony and large crowds. His departure mirrored the life he led: simple, austere, discreet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I came into contact with Chula on the very first day of my entry to the Colombo Law Faculty sometime in October 1969. It was a great thrill for me to step inside the portals of a University Campus, as it would be for any starry-eyed youth dreaming of doing big things in life. Colombo Campus and the Law Faculty gave me that break. I received a \u2018big hug\u2019 metaphorically speaking on the premises of the Law Faculty from seniors like Chula Boange, Palitha Kohona and Elikawela who warmly welcomed me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was later i.e., within a short time that I came to know that the Law Faculty (along with the rest of the Arts Faculties) was indeed politically divided into two distinct camps \u2018Hara\u2019 and \u2018Kult\u2019 and that backdrop engulfed almost every student especially in the Law Faculty till they left the campus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The division between the “Hara” and “Kult” camps at the Law Faculty, University of Ceylon, in the late 1960s represented a defining socio-cultural and linguistic schism in Sri Lankan university history. This scenario has drawn academic attention and commentary by scholars. These were opposing student factions divided by social class, Westernization, and English-language proficiency. The friction between these two groups intensified significantly during the late 1960s, coinciding with the relocation of the Department of Law back to Colombo and its elevation to a full Faculty in 1967.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new entrants in 1969 received a formal welcome from my former classmate at school Ranil Wickremasinghe who was the President of the Law Faculty Students Union (LFSU). This particular experience moulded Ranil and it provided him a stepping stone for his political ascendency later on in life. He led one camp and Palitha Kohona led the other camp which had Chula Boange as the wing man of Palitha\u2019s team. Chula was the supportive friend who was always there when one needed him. An old boy of Trinity College, Kandy, Chula was well read in the Classics, perfect in his grammar and speech, and adept at general knowledge. An ideal companion for support and intellectual growth on a university campus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a couple of examples. The Colombo Law Faculty in 1969 lacked a news sheet. It was a dire necessity. Nobody knew what was happening socially and who was doing what. I broke the ice in my very first year. I drafted and distributed a pamphlet calling for a news \u2013 letter to be published to share news and views of both students and staff, and connect them. It was meant to fill a gap when faculty history and updates were only passed by word of mouth. It was a bit of a shock for many at first to see an upstart first year telling his seniors what to do. But saner counsel and wisdom prevailed at the end. The proposal to start a newsletter received the backing of the decision makers and it had to go through via a Resolution adopted at a Meeting of the Law Faculty Students Union. Ranil <\/strong> Wickremasinghe<\/strong> presided with able assistance flowing from Graham Hatch (Secretary).  I opened the debate proposing the inauguration of a newsletter. Chula backed me wholeheartedly with a fine speech. A respected student in the final year named Austin Pulle supported the proposal. There were other voices too. The Resolution was finally adopted without a division. The student publication was called \u2018Jura\u2019 and it entered Faculty history as its first news -letter.  AP Niles followed by Srilal Perera were the first two Editors of Jura (1970 \u2013 1972). Saleem Marsoof (then a student and later a Supreme Court Justice) wrote a thought-provoking article for \u2018JURA\u2019 under the caption \u2018Can the Law Faculty justify its existence?\u2019.  It caught several off guard and that included a senior teacher who had to visit Saleem Marsoof at his home to explain and clarify matters to him. That was the power of Marsoof\u2019s pen even then in his undergraduate days.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I had to deliver a Vote of Thanks at the Faculty to a visiting dignitary. Sri Lanka\u2019s Permanent Representative at the UN. Dr. Neville Kanakaratne who delivered a talk on Public International Law. Chula came home to help me prepare the vote of thanks and rehearse it several times in front of him. That was very useful. He was always ever ready to help his friends.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another memorable event where Chula gave me his fullest backing was when I contested for the post of Secretary of the LFSU in my very first year at the faculty (1969 – 1970). I was opposed by a Second-Year female student. Despite my relative Junior status, I won. When the election result was announced at the former Canteen of the Colombo Campus (nearby to the College House) Chula who was standing next to me was delirious with joy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Hara\u2019 faction at the Law Faculty evolved into what later became known as the \u2018Progressive Front\u2019 (a nascent political movement) which swept the faculty elections in 1972. Anil Vitarana (Vice- President, LFSU), Maithri Pangoda, Wilfred Perera, Cecil Hettiarachchi, and S.K. Thambipillay, among others, played a critical role in this victory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Law Faculty had some notable teachers (1969 \u2013 1972). Professor T. Nadaraja (Dean), Ms. Savithri Goonasekera, Dr. Mark Cooray, Dr. G.L. Peiris, Dr. M. Sornarajah, Ms. Nirmala Chandrahasan (nee Naganathan), Mr. Nimal Dissanayake, among others. In 1972, Ms. Nirmala Naganathan got married to a lawyer named Mr. S.C. Chandrahasan at a Church in Wellawatte. Professor T. Nadaraja was the Chief Guest. The entire committee of the LFSU which had Senaka Weeraratna (President), Anil Vitarana (Vice \u2013 President), Anton Cooray (Secretary) and R.J. de Silva (Treasurer) attended the Wedding.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chula Boange \u2013 Personal details<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chula was born on 13th<\/sup> of September 1948, in Kandy, to Edward and Seetha Boange (nee Weerakoon), he had his childhood upbringing in Kundasale.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second of four siblings, his elder brother Yasantha and younger brother Malsiri, both passed away in 2024. He has one sister, Dr. Umanga Seneviratne who resides in Sydney. The sole surviving sibling of Chula Boange.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was widely and fondly known as \u2018Dumpy\u2019 by family and schoolmates.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Had his education at Trinity College Kandy, which was the school of his father Edward Boange, and even his later father-in-law, Edmund Eramudugolla.   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1966, after sitting for the A\/L in the Arts stream he gained admission to the Law Faculty of the then University of Ceylon in 1967, which later became University of Colombo.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was called to the Bar on 27th<\/sup> of July 1972, and took oaths as an Advocate in the Royal Audience Hall, the Magul Maduwa, in Kandy. That was in fact the very last oaths taking ceremony held at the Magul Maduwa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

J.C. Boange\u2019s oaths taking became a historical fact in Sri Lanka\u2019s legal history. <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1974 the \u2018Administration of Justice Law\u2019 came into operation and centralized the Supreme Court hearings, proceedings exclusively in Colombo. Before that there was a system of \u2018Assizes\u2019 maintained by the British where the Supreme Court would hear criminal cases of indictment such as Murder and other grave crimes in the outstations. They were called circuit courts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principal towns such as Jaffna, Galle and Kandy had circuit courts. In Kandy the premises was the Royal Audience Hall or the Magul Maduwa. It is a place with much historic and cultural significance since it was the audience hall of the Kings of Kandy where the royal coronations took place, the royal court was held and foreign envoys were received.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Magul Maduwa was also the venue where the historical Kandyan Convention of 1815 was signed between the British and the Kandyan chieftains. Not many today would know that what is now a historic and touristic sight, at one time was a place where the highest judicial authority was exercised to deliver justice in Sri Lanka. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like in the Supreme Court in Colombo today, back then Advocates and Proctors took oaths in the Kandy Magul Maduwa as well. Over 50 years ago, on the 27th<\/sup> of July 1972, was the last time a lawyer took oaths in the Magul Maduwa. And that was J.C. Boange. The last oaths taking ceremony at the Magul Maduwa, which admitted Boange to the legal profession was presided by the late Justice C.B Walgampaya, also an old boy of Trinity who was the father of the late Senaka Walgampaya PC.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1973 he, i.e., J.C. Boange joined the Attorney General\u2019s Department as a State Counsel and later pursued practice in the Private Bar.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Contributions & Profile<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Constitutional Submissions: Chula Boange was well-known and respected in legal circles for presenting critical submissions to the Supreme Court. Notably, during the draft stages of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, he argued that certain provisions regarding the President’s duty to ensure religious harmony were in conflict with Article 9, which encapsulates the historical status and foremost place given to Buddhism, above all other religions. Boange rejected the argument that the State must give patronage to each and every religion equally on the ground of maintaining religious harmony, while at the same time ignoring and discarding the unparalleled contribution made by Buddhism to the advancement of civilization in Sri Lanka over a period of Two Millennia.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The Civilizational primacy of Buddhism and upheld in the Constitution of Sri Lanka is non \u2013 negotiable.  Furthermore, Sri Lanka’s ancient architectural civilization is fundamentally rooted in Buddhism as its <\/strong>Grundnorm<\/em><\/strong>\u2014the ultimate foundational norm and organizing principle that has dictated urban planning, engineering, resource allocation, and aesthetic expression for over two millennia. Rather than being merely a religion patronized by the State, Buddhism has always operated heavily in history as the supreme constitutional framework, where the legitimacy of the King, the structure of society, and the physical landscape were unified under the aegis of the Dhamma<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Public Discourse: He frequently took part in national and cultural dialogues, contributing essays and Letters to the Editor of Sunday Times, on topics ranging from Buddhist philosophy (such as the Anatta<\/em> doctrine) to historical independence timelines.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Legal Representation: Over the decades, he has served as a defense and petitioning counsel in various civil and district court matters across Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Marriage<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He married Vinodini Eramudugolla on 5th<\/sup> of February 1976, and had their 50th<\/sup> wedding anniversary this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    From the early 1980s onwards, his permanent residence was in Rajagiriya. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    His main interest in life was the Dhamma which he steadfastly pursued with vigour and dedication.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We all live a short life. In choosing a simple mode of living Chula made a profound statement to all who crossed his path. Live simply. Think highly. He chose Dhamma as his path to advancement in life in a wholesome sense. He gifted the Dhamma by way of ensuring that a conversation with him would never end without some input from his vast reservoir of knowledge of Buddhism. He was a deep thinker and followed the Dhamma of meditation and analysis.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He is succeeded by his wife Vinodini, his three children Suranthi, Dilshan and Hashani. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Senaka Weeraratna<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    August 01, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Senaka Weeraratna Chula Boange soon after taking oaths J.C. (Chula) Boange, Attorney \u2013 at \u2013 Law, died on July 20th 2026. He was 77 years old. His remains were cremated within 24 hours of his passing according to his wishes, without the usual trappings of rituals, ceremony and large crowds. His departure mirrored the life […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senaka-weeraratna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157644"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":157647,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157644\/revisions\/157647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}