Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, a distinguished lawyer who served as a judge on the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and later as a judge on the International Court of Justice died on January 5, 2017 at the age of 90. The President of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka published
this tribute which outlines Weeramantry's contributions to law and religion:
Judge Weeramantry was undoubtedly well versed in all the major religions and its laws. He successfully interpreted legal principles with the teachings of the major religions of the world- Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism in his deliberations at the International Court of Justice. He has been considered a pioneer in bringing religious jurisprudence to the international court of justice.
His biggest contribution to the Muslim community was his book, ‘Islamic Jurisprudence, An International Perspective’....
Weeramantry was also known for having presided over a 1996 case on the International Court of Justice involving advisory opinions on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons in which he issued a
dissenting opinion taking the position that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is illegal in all circumstances.
