C. Nagalingam

Nagalingam was born on 25 October 1893.[2][4] He was the son of Chellappah and Meenachchi from Urumpirai in Northern Province of Ceylon. He hailed from a distinguished family and had four eminent brothers: C. Suntharalingam, a member of parliament and government minister; C. Panchalingam, a medical doctor; C. Amirthalingam, Director of Fisheries; and C. Thiagalingam, a leading lawyer. Nagalingam was educated at St. John's College, Jaffna and Royal College, Colombo where he excelled in studies and sports and won the De Soysa Science Prize.[2][4] Thereafter he entered Ceylon Law College, qualifying as an advocate in 1917.[2]

After Nagalingam was called to the bar, he practised law in Colombo until 1937.[2] In 1938 he was appointed as an Additional District Judge of Colombo.[2][4] He was appointed District Judge of Kandy in 1941 and acting Attorney General in 1946.[2][4] He was also appointed King's Counsel in 1946.[2] In 1947 he became acting Legal Secretary, one of the three official members of the State Council, heading committee of justice with ministerial rank in the Board of Ministers.[2][4] He was also called to the bench as an acting puisne justice and was confirmed justice of the Supreme Court in 1947, the first Tamil to hold that post.[2][4] He was later appointed Senior Supreme Court Judge and acted as Chief Justice on a number of occasions.[2][4] In this capacity he was called upon to briefly serve as acting Governor-General in 1954 whilst Lord Soulbury was out of the country.[2][4]

Nagalingam was chairman of the Civil Courts Commission and the Salaries Commission, and member of the Council of Legal Education and the Judicial Service Commission.[2]

Nagalingam was one of the founders of the Hindu Educational Society which founded the Colombo Hindu College in 1951.[5]

Nagalingam married Gnanam, daughter of Vaithilingam. They had two sons (Yogalingam and Bakthilingam) and four daughters (Maheswari, Sarveswari, Vigneswari and Nandeswari).[4] Nagalingam died on 25 October 1958.[4]