Punch Coomaraswamy
Punch Coomaraswamy | |
|---|---|
 Punch Coomaraswamy as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore from 1966 to 1970 | |
| Supreme Court Judge of Singapore | |
| In office 7 September 1984 – 15 October 1993 | |
| Ambassador of Singapore to the United States | |
| In office October 1976 – August 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Ernest Steven Monteiro |
| Succeeded by | Prof. Tommy Koh |
| President of Singapore (Acting) | |
| In office 5 March 1968 – 5 May 1968 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
| Preceded by | Yusof Ishak (President) |
| Succeeded by | Yusof Ishak (President) |
| 4th Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore | |
| In office August 1966 – 1970 | |
| Deputy | Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng (1968 – 1970)[1] |
| Preceded by | Arumugam Ponnu Rajah |
| Succeeded by | Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng |
| Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore | |
| In office February 1966 – August 1966 | |
| Preceded by | Dr Fong Kim Heng |
| Succeeded by | Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 October 1925 Segamat, Johor, Unfederated Malay States |
| Died | 8 January 1999 (aged 73) Singapore |
| Cause of death | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| Spouse(s) | Kailanayaky ("Kaila") Coomaraswamy nee Appachy |
| Children | Mohan (son) Shobanna (daughter) Vinodh (son) |
| Alma mater | University of Nottingham |
| Profession | Lawyer, Diplomat, Judge |
Punch Coomaraswamy (16 October 1925 – 8 January 1999) was a High Court judge in Singapore and envoy to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia, Fiji, the United States and Brazil.[2]
Education[]
Coomaraswamy was the son of Kandiah and Chellam Coomaraswamy. Kandiah Coomaraswamy was a medical doctor who served in the then Straits Settlements Medical Service from 1916 to 1955, when he retired.[3] Coomaraswamy received his early education at the English College in Johor and later obtained his law degree from the University of Nottingham in England.[4]
Career[]
Coomaraswamy practised in the firm of Braddell Brothers as an advocate during the 1950s and 1960s. From 1958 to 1960, he was appointed the Honorary Secretary of Singapore Bar Council. He was a visiting lecturer in the law of evidence at the University of Singapore (now National University of Singapore) from 1959 to 1969.[2] From 1961 to 1969, he was a lecturer for the Board of Legal Education, Singapore.[2][5] During his time as a lawyer, Coomaraswamy represented convicted murderer Sunny Ang in his trial, where Ang was accused of murdering his girlfriend for her insurance. Ang was executed in 1967.[6]
In February 1966, he was appointed the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and in August of the same year, he was appointed the Speaker of Parliament.[2][7] He was the Acting President of Singapore from 5 March to 5 May 1968.[2][8] Dr Yeoh Ghim Seng took over as the Speaker of the Parliament in January 1970.[8]
His first appointment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was from January 1970 to July 1973 as Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.[5][8] From July 1973 to September 1976, he was Singapore's High Commissioner to Australia and Fiji, and from October 1976 to August 1984, he was Singapore's Ambassador to the United States and Brazil.[2][9][10][11]
He served as a Supreme Court judge from 7 September 1984[5][12] to 15 October 1993.[2][4][13]
Family and death[]
Coomaraswamy married Kaila on 9 November 1956 and had three children from the marriage.[5] He died in his sleep on 8 January 1999 as a result of chronic lung disease caused by smoking.[2][14] One of his sons, Vinodh Coomaraswamy, is currently a judge in the High Court of Singapore.[15]
Awards[]
- 1946: Pacific War (1941 to 1945) Medal (United Kingdom)[2]
- 1976: Public Service Star Award[2][10]
- 1980: Meritorious Service Medal[2][16]
References[]
- ^ "Speakers of Parliament". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020.
Scroll to bottom and expand the list of former Deputy Speaker
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k "Punch Coomaraswamy". nlb.gov.sg. 2016. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Doctor served for 37 years". The Straits Times. 19 November 1961. p. 2.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Punch Coomaraswamy to be appointed Supreme Court judge". Singapore Monitor. 6 May 1984. p. 3.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Home – after 14 years abroad". The Straits Times. 6 May 1984. p. 9.
- ^ "The Sunny Ang murder case". National Library Board. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ "Deputy Speaker takes over in Spore". The Straits Times. 18 August 1966. p. 11.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "S'pore names envoy to Bangla". The Straits Times. 16 June 1972. p. 7.
- ^ "Singapore Ambassadors to the United States of America". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 4 September 2019. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Punch named new envoy to US". The Straits Times. 12 August 1976. p. 8.
- ^ "Punch also envoy to Brazil". BUSINESS TIMES. 11 December 1976. p. 12.
- ^ "Former envoy Punch sworn in as judge". The Straits Times. 8 September 1984. p. 15.
- ^ "After nine years, Justice Punch Coomaraswamy retires from Bench". The Straits Times. 1 October 1993. p. 3.
- ^ "Ex-envoy and High Court judge dies". The Straits Times. 9 January 1999. p. 51.
- ^ Appointment of Judicial Commissioner Vinodh Coomaraswamy as Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Supreme Court of Singapore, 24 June 2013, archived from the original on 26 June 2013.
- ^ "Buang and Punch get top honours". The Straits Times. 9 August 1980. p. 11.
External links[]
- 1925 births
- 1999 deaths
- Ambassadors of Singapore to the United States
- Singaporean lawyers
- Singaporean judges
- Speakers of the Parliament of Singapore
- 20th-century lawyers
- Singaporean expatriates in India