Joseph Francis Anthony Soza (1919 – 8 April 2013Death of former SC Judge Anton Soza at Daily News (Sri Lanka), 10 April 2013) was a former judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. He has been described as "an outstandingly independent judge" who "turned out to be a fearless and vocal defender of the rights of victimized people."Weerakoon, Bradman Rendering Unto Caesar. New Dawn Press, 2004

Education Soza was educated at Maris Stella College, Negombo. He taught English and Pure Mathematics at St. Joseph's College, Bandarawela, Ceylon Technical College and Ananda College, Colombo. After graduating in arts and law from the University of London, he enrolled as an advocate after completing his studies at the Sri Lanka Law College, where he was also president of the law students' union.Amerasinghe, A.R.B. Supreme Court of Sri Lanka - Its first 185 years. Sarvodaya Vishva Lekha 1988.

Judicial career Following a brief stint as a lawyer, Soza commenced his distinguished judicial career as a magistrate in Balapitiya. After serving the original courts as magistrate, district judge and high-court judge he was appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal in 1978. In January 1982, President J. R. Jayawardene appointed him as judge of the Supreme Court. He retired from judicial service in February 1984.

Other activities Soza was the editor-in-chief of the Sri Lanka Law Reports for more than 25 years (1979-2005). As the founding director of the Sri Lanka Judges' Institute, he played a major role in the training of judicial officers in the country.De Silva, Mahanil Prasantha. Venerate the deserving, Justice Soza at Daily News (Sri Lanka), 12 April 2013 As the first chairman of the Human Rights Task Force (now known as the Human Rights Commission) during the post-insurgency period 1991-1994, he was responsible for investigating cases of human rights abuse by state authorities.Leob, Vernon Sri Lankan Activists Keeping A Lonely Vigil The Men Who Killed Her Son Cannot Stop The Mothers' Crusade at Philly.com, Philadelphia, 6 September 1992 Among his celebrated disclosures was the Embilipitiya Students' Disappearance case.Sri Lanka Law Reports The Embilipitiya abduction and murder case According to a report by the Brookings Institution, "the HRTF was set up to oversee the conditions of those detained under the country’s national security laws: the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Emergency Regulations introduced by the President under the Public Security Ordinance. Although its legal foundations were weak, the HRTF performed an important function due mainly to its dynamic chair, a former Supreme Court judge, who used his stature as a former judicial officer to gain access to detention centers and to engage with military commanders on a regular basis."

He was chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation and a member of several presidential commissions of inquiry. In 1992, President Premadasa conferred on him the national honour Deshabandu in recognition of his distinguished service to the country.Presidential Secretariat National Awards Recipients

Landmark judgments As a high-court judge of Colombo and chairman of the trial-at-bar of TULF Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam, on 10 September 1976, Soza created "an explosion of jubilation" by holding invalid the emergency regulations under which the case was filed.Kanag-Isvaran, K. The Thiruchelvam I Knew at (website in tribute to) Senator M Tiruchelvam QC, 9 February 2008

In the Supreme Court he was widely known for his illuminating judgments, especially concerning fundamental rights. He wrote the landmark opinion in the Vivienne Goonewardena assault case, in which it was declared that the police infringed the petitioner's freedom of expression.Sri Lanka Law Reports Vivienne Goonewardene v Hector Perera and others Incensed by the judgment, pro-police demonstrators stoned the residences of Soza and the other two judges who had tried the case.

References

See also Supreme Court of Sri Lanka