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Justice Satchi Ponnambalam (27 January 1935 – 31 January 1999) was a leading Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and judge.
Satchi Ponnambalam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize | |
| In office 1985–1993 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 January 1935 |
| Died | 31 January 1999 (aged 64) Belize City |
| Alma mater | University of Ceylon, Peradeniya |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Early life and family
Ponnambalam was born on 27 January 1935.[1] He was the son of R. Ponnambalam and Sinnamah Ammal from Chundikuli in northern Ceylon.[1] He was educated at St. John's College, Jaffna.[1] After school he entered University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in 1955.[1]
Ponnambalam married Vasantha (Vasi), daughter of V. Sittampalam.[1][2][3] They had three daughters (Sumanthi, Jamuna and Menaka).[1][2][3]
Ponnambalam joined the legal profession after graduation, becoming an advocate and solicitor (England).[1] He was then state advocate and senior state advocate in Zambia.[1] He then moved to Belize in 1981 to serve as a magistrate.[1][2] He was promoted to chief magistrate before joining the Supreme Court of Belize as a puisne judge in 1985.[1][2] He retired in 1993.[1][2]
Ponnambalam worked as a legal consultant, participated at Tamil conferences and wrote two books: Dependent Capitalism in Crisis in Sri Lanka, 1948-79 (1980) and Sri Lanka : The National Question and the Tamil Liberation Struggle (1983).[1][2] He died on 31 January 1999 at his home in Belize City.[2][3]