Julius Caesar de Miranda
Julius Caesar de Miranda (April 3, 1906 in Paramaribo – November 28, 1956) was a Surinamese jurist and politician.
Biography
De Miranda was a descendant of an old established family of planters. He went to the gymnasium in The Hague, Netherlands and then studied law at the University of Amsterdam. On December 20, 1928 he passed his state examination in law.
After returning to Suriname he worked as a lawyer in Paramaribo from 1929 to 1946. In 1946, he traveled to the Netherlands once again. He received a doctorate in legal science from the University of Amsterdam on 18 December 1946. He was appointed to the Court of Paramaribo in the same year and was in the year of his death, even for a short time its president.
De Miranda was from 1932 to 1938 and 1942 to 1946 member of the Colonial States (parliament with limited powers). He was also Minister of Justice and Police, Education and Finance. In addition, he was Prime Minister from 1949 to 1951.
As an elected representative, he delivered open criticism of the official leadership of Governor Kielstra (1933-1944) and became vigorously for a change of authority. He found that the governor should no longer be the subject of the Dutch Minister for the Overseas territory parts, but responsible with his administration over the Surinamese community.
In April 12, 1956 he became President of the Court of Justice which he remained until he died eight months later at the age of 50, on November 28, 1956 about 2 o'clock in the morning, to a coronary thrombosis.
Julius Caesar de Miranda was not only a Surinamese politician of the first class, but furthermore an authoritative jurist who has contributed much to the legal science in Suriname.
In November 28, 1961 a statue created by Leo Braat was unveiled by his widow. The statue shows him in robe and stands at the Mr. de Mirandastraat in the center of Paramaribo.
Literature
- Sedney, Jules: De toekomst van ons verleden. Democratie, etniciteit en politieke machtsvorming in Suriname, Paramaribo 1997 (VACO Uitgeversmaatschappij)