K. Palakidnar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1931 Kokuvil, Ceylon |
| Died | 2 June 2001 |
| Alma mater | Kokuvil Hindu College Jaffna Hindu College St. Joseph's College, Colombo Ceylon University College Ceylon Law College |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Justice Krishnapillai Palakidnar was a leading Sri Lankan lawyer, judge and President of the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka.
Palakidnar was born in 1931 at Kokuvil in northern Ceylon. [1] He was the son of S. Krishnapillai, Chief Trains Controller, and Pasupathy. [1] He was educated at Kokuvil Hindu College, Jaffna Hindu College and St. Joseph's College, Colombo. [1] After school he joined the Ceylon University College, graduating with a BA degree. [1] [2] He then entered Ceylon Law College, qualifying as an advocate of the Supreme Court in 1957. [1]
After qualifying Palakidnar practised law in Colombo as a junior under C. Renganathan. [1] He joined the Judicial Service in 1966, serving as a magistrate in Anuradhapura, Ratnapura and Jaffna. [1] He was then a District Judge in Kalmunai, Chavakachcheri and Jaffna. [1] He served as a High Court Judge between 1982 and 1987, serving in Chilaw, Negombo, Batticaloa and Trincomalee. [1] He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1987, becoming its president in October 1992. [1]
After retirement Palakidnar was appointed chairman of the Special Commission on Disappearance in the North and East by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. [1] He was director of the Human Rights Task Force. [1] Palakidnar died on 2 June 2001. [3]