| C. Nagalingam | |
| Honorific-Suffix: | KC |
| Office1: | Acting Governor-General of Ceylon |
| Term Start1: | 1954 |
| Term End1: | 1954 |
| Monarch1: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister1: | John Kotelawala |
| Predecessor1: | Lord Soulbury |
| Successor1: | Lord Soulbury |
| Office2: | Acting Chief Justice of Ceylon |
| Term Start2: | 1954 |
| Term End2: | 1954 |
| Predecessor2: | Alan Rose |
| Successor2: | Hema Henry Basnayake |
| Office3: | Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon |
| Term Start3: | 1947 |
| Term End3: | 1958 |
| Order4: | 27th |
| Office4: | Attorney General of Ceylon |
| Term Start4: | 25 January 1946 |
| Term End4: | 1947 |
| Predecessor4: | Manikku Wadumestri Hendrick de Silva |
| Successor4: | Edward Percival Rose |
| Birth Date: | 1893 10, df=yes |
| Nationality: | Ceylonese |
| Spouse: | Gnanam |
| Relations: | C. Amirthalingam C. Panchalingam C. Suntharalingam C. Thiagalingam |
| Alma Mater: | Ceylon Law College Royal College, Colombo St. John's College, Jaffna |
| Profession: | Judge, lawyer |
| Blank1: | Ethnicity |
| Data1: | Ceylon Tamil |
Chellappah Nagalingam, KC (25 October 1893 – 25 October 1958) was a leading Ceylonese judge and lawyer. He was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and served as acting Governor-General of Ceylon in 1954.[1] [2] He also served as acting Chief Justice, acting Legal Secretary and Attorney General. He was the first Ceylon Tamil to be appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Ceylon.[2] He is considered to be the leading founder of Hindu College Colombo.
Nagalingam was born on 25 October 1893.[2] [3] 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] [3] 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 an Additional District Judge of Colombo.[2] [3] He was appointed District Judge of Kandy in 1941 and acting Attorney General in 1946.[2] [3] 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] [3] 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] [3] He was later appointed Senior Supreme Court Judge and acted as Chief Justice on a number of occasions.[2] [3] 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] [3]
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 Hindu College Colombo in 1951.[4]
Nagalingam married Gnanam, daughter of Vaithilingam. They had two sons (Yogalingam and Bakthilingam) and four daughters (Maheswari, Sarveswari, Vigneswari and Nandeswari).[3] Nagalingam died on 25 October 1958.[3]