Donald Hewagama

Donald Danister Hewagama was the Judge Advocate General to the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka.

He was born in Payagala in Kalutara, southern Sri Lanka, and was the son of Arthur Hewagama (grandson of Hewagamage H. Appuhamy) and Mabel Alexandria Wijesinghe Jayewardene, who was the cousin of Junius Richard Jayewardene, the President of Sri Lanka in the 1977 government.

He was a graduate from the University of Ceylon and took oaths as an Advocate later. He joined the Legal Draftsmen Department of Sri Lanka and in 1967 was appointed as the Judge Advocate General to the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka permanently by Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. This appointment was endorsed by the Opposition in Parliament of Sri Lanka at that time headed by Mr. J.R. Jayawardene, and he served till 1982 October 22nd as the first Sri Lankan to hold this position.

He was well known as a judicial officer who performed his duties impartially and delivered justice to all in the society in Sri Lanka.^{[peacock term]} At the commencement of his career he presided over the court martial held with regard to the assassination coup of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranayake, the then Prime Minister within the Army of the country. He died in 2009.

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He was holding a rank of Brigadier in Sri lanka army. As a lawyer he appeared without expecting any fee on behalf of brave soldiers who were doing their duty for their motherland, who were convicted by court on various allegations described as war crimes but in every case he appeared, he proved their innocence and morale of soldiers doing their duty were further strengthened.