C. V. Vigneswaran

Vigneswaran was born on 23 October 1939 in Hulftsdorp, Colombo, the capital of Ceylon.{{cite news |last=Wijedasa |first=Namini |title='I'm not a politician, I only wish to serve my suffering people' |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/130721/news/im-not-a-politician-i-only-wish-to-serve-my-suffering-people-53745.html |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=The Sunday Times |date=21 July 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} His parents were born in Manipay in northern Ceylon and he had two sisters.{{cite news |last1=Liyanasuriya |first1=Sathya |title=Walking the political tightrope |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/172-opinion/47146-walking-the-political-tightrope.html |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=15 May 2014 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} His father Canagasabapathy was a public official who worked in several parts of the country. Vigneswaran's grandfather was a cousin of statesmen P. Ramanathan and P. Arunachalam.

Vigneswaran's father's work meant that the family moved often. Vigneswaran spent the first nine years of his life in Kurunegala and studied at Christchurch College. The family then moved to Anuradhapura where Vigneswaran attended Holy Family Convent. Vigneswaran joined Royal College, Colombo aged 11.{{cite news |last=Bastians |first=Dharisha |title=Justice on a razor's edge |url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20041031/interviews.htm |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=The Sunday Leader |date=31 October 2004 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |last=Fernando |first=Susitha R. |title=Top Judge Hits Out at Judicial Process |url=http://newsletters.ahrchk.net/js/mainfile.php/0343/644/ |work=The Daily Mirror / Jana Sammathaya (Asian Human Rights Commission) |date=20 October 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100319220632/http://newsletters.ahrchk.net/js/mainfile.php/0343/644/ |archive-date=19 March 2010}} After school Vigneswaran obtained B.A. degree from the University of London and LL.B. degree from the University of Ceylon. He then joined Ceylon Law College, qualifying as a proctor and an advocate. He was president of the Law Students’ Union at the college in 1962.

One of Vigneswaran's sons is married to the daughter of government minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara.{{cite news |last=Hoole |first=Ratnajeevan |title=Mischief By Asian Tribune: The Northern Province Chief Minister Candidature |url=http://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/mischief-by-asian-tribune-the-northern-province-chief-minister-candidature/ |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=Colombo Telegraph |date=23 April 2013 |author-link=Ratnajeevan Hoole}}{{cite news |last=Rajasingham |first=K. T. |title=Simmering discontent within TNA threatens to explode |url=http://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2013/04/28/pol03.asp |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=Sunday Observer |date=28 April 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} His other son is married to the niece of former MP Keseralal Gunasekera.

Vigneswaran is also a follower of the controversial guru Swami Premananda whom he has compared to Jesus and has requested that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi release three jailed followers of Premananda.{{cite news |last1=Jeyaraj |first1=D. B. S. |author-link1= |title=C.V.Wigneswaran hurts Christian sentiments |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/C-V-Wigneswaran-hurts-Christian-sentiments-127591.html |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=22 April 2017 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |last1=Karthick |first1=S. |title=Lanka province CM seeks release of 3 convicts in Premananda |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Lanka-province-CM-seeks-release-of-3-convicts-in-Premananda-case/articleshow/47033589.cms |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Times of India |agency=Times News Network |date=24 April 2015 |location=Mumbai, India}}

Vigneswaran practised of law for more than fifteen years.{{cite book|last1=Peebles|first1=Patrick|title=Historical Dictionary of Sri Lanka|date=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-5584-5|page=387|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=50igCgAAQBAJ}}{{cite news |title="Law and its sanction is based today on forced legitimacy" |url=http://www.ft.lk/article/143787/-Law-and-its-sanction-is-based-today-on-forced-legitimacy- |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=Daily FT |date=2 April 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} He is a President's Counsel.{{cite news |last=Ilangamuwa |first=Nilantha |title="Life has to be designed by your intellect and not by emotion" : An Interview with Justice C. V. Wigneswaran |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=98488 |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Island |date=23 February 2014 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |last1=Piyasena |first1=Lakshman |title='Independence and corresponding power within a united country' |url=http://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2015/03/01/fea02.asp |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=Sunday Observer |date=1 March 2015 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} He joined the Judicial Service on 7 May 1979.{{cite news |last=Maniccavasagar |first=Chelvatamby |title=Justice Wigneswaran - a multi-faceted personality |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2004/11/02/fea07.html |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=Daily News |date=2 November 2004 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} He served as a magistrate and District Judge in Batticaloa, Chavakachcheri and Mallakam. He became District Judge for Colombo in January 1987. He was appointed to the High Court in 1988, serving in Northern Province, Eastern, North Central, Uva and Western provinces. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1995.

Vigneswaran was appointed to the Supreme Court in March 2001.{{cite news |title=S.C Judge says Tamil rights were snatched away |url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=5839 |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=TamilNet |date=8 March 2001}} He retired in October 2004.{{cite news |title=Veteran Supreme Court Judge retires |url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=13186 |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=TamilNet |date=20 October 2004}}

File:Samantha Power meets C. V. Vigneswaran 1.jpg Samantha Power in November 2015]]

In April 2013 it was reported that Vigneswaran had been chosen by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to be its chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming election to Northern Provincial Council (NPC).{{cite news |last=Rajasingham |first=K. T. |title=Retd. Justice C.V. Wigneswaran: Chief Minister Candidate of Tamil National Alliance? |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/node/62317 |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=Asian Tribune |date=19 April 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |archive-date=23 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523045006/http://asiantribune.com/node/62317 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Peiris |first=Harim |title=TNA vs LTTE – The Northern Provincial Council stakes |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=78048 |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=The Island |date=1 May 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} The reports were denied by the TNA. However, in July 2013, after nominations were called for the provincial council election, the TNA announced that Vigneswaran would be its chief ministerial candidate in the Northern Province.{{cite news |last=Palakidnar |first=Ananth |title=Justice Vigneswaran TNA's CM choice |url=http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-37730-news-detail-justice-vigneswaran-tnas-cm-choice.html |work=Ceylon Today |date=15 July 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927120604/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-37730-news-detail-justice-vigneswaran-tnas-cm-choice.html |archive-date=27 September 2013}}{{cite news |title=Justice Wigneswaran TNA CM candidate |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/top-story/32422-justice-wigneswaran-tna-cm-candidate.html |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=15 July 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite web |title=Elections to the Northern Provincial Council |url=http://tnapolitics.org/en/elections-to-the-northern-provincial-council/ |publisher=Tamil National Alliance |date=15 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930164009/http://tnapolitics.org/en/elections-to-the-northern-provincial-council/ |archive-date=30 September 2013}} He contested the provincial council election as one of the TNA's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the NPC.{{cite magazine |title=Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Provincial Council Elections Act, No. 2 of 1988 - Northern Province Provincial Council |magazine=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary |date=25 September 2013 |issue=1829/33 |page=3A |url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2013/9/1829-33_E.pdf |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=Provincial Council Elections 2013 – Results and preferential votes: Northern Province |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/infographics/provincial-council-elections-2013-results-and-preferential-votes-northern-province/193-36078 |access-date=24 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=26 September 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} Vigneswaran received his chief ministerial appointment letter from Governor G. A. Chandrasiri on 1 October 2013.{{cite web |title=New Chief Minister appointed to Northern Provincial Council – 01 October 2013 |url=http://www.np.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2592:new-chief-minister-appointed-to-northern-provincial-council--01-october-2013 |access-date=26 October 2018 |publisher=Northern Provincial Council |date=1 October 2013 |location=Jafnna, Sri Lanka}}{{cite magazine |title=Part IV (A) — Provincial Councils - Appointments &c., by the Governors - Northern Province Provincial Council - Appointment made by the Governor of the Northern Province |magazine=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary |date=7 October 2013 |volume=1831/01 |url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2013/10/1831-01_E.pdf |access-date=26 October 2018 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=C.V. Vigneswaran receives appointment letter |url=http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-43934-news-detail-cv-vigneswaran-receives-appointment-letter.html |work=Ceylon Today |date=1 October 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610201601/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-43934-news-detail-cv-vigneswaran-receives-appointment-letter.html |archive-date=10 June 2015}} He took his oath as chief minister and provincial councillor in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on 7 October 2013.{{cite news |title=Wigneswaran takes oath as Northern Province CM |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/cm-wigneswaran-takes-oath-in-sri-lankas-northern-province/article5209907.ece |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Hindu |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |date=9 October 2013 |location=Chennai, India}}{{cite news |title=Wigneswaran sworn-in as NPC CM |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption-story/36694-wigneswaran-sworn-in-as-ncp-cm.html |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=7 October 2013 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010190355/http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption-story/36694-wigneswaran-sworn-in-as-ncp-cm.html |archive-date=10 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Sri Lanka poll: Tamil minister Wigneswaran says 'peace possible' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24179990 |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=BBC News |date=7 October 2013 |location=London, U.K.}}

Vigneswaran's relationship with the TNA leadership deteriorated thereafter.{{cite news |last1=Chandraprema |first1=C. A. |title=Wigneswaran's new party: Debut at PC polls or Presidential election? |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=193324 |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Island |date=26 October 2018 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |last1=Balachandran |first1=P. K. |title=Both Sampanthan and Wigneswaran seeking unity, but terms clash |url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=186889 |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Island |date=26 June 2018 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} In December 2015 he became leader of the newly formed Tamil People's Council (TPC), a forum to highlight issues affecting Sri Lankan Tamils.{{cite news |title=Tamil People's Council inaugurated in Jaffna |url=https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tamil-people%E2%80%99s-council-inaugurated-jaffna?articleid=16817 |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=Tamil Guardian |date=19 December 2015}}{{cite news |title=TPC success depends on geopolitically addressing national question |url=https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=38061 |access-date=26 October 2018 |work=TamilNet |date=25 December 2015}} The TPC, which included civil society groups, religious leaders and academics as well as political parties, claimed that it wasn't political or an alternative to the TNA.{{cite news |title=New Tamil Group Not Alternative To TNA |url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2015/12/27/new-tamil-group-not-alternative-to-tna/ |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Sunday Leader |date=27 December 2015 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |last1=Ramakrishnan |first1=T. |title=Another Tamil group joins Tamil People's Council |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/another-tamil-group-joins-tamil-peoples-council/article8037656.ece |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Hindu |date=28 December 2015 |location=Chennai, India}} On 24 October 2018, the day after he ceased being chief minister, Vigneswaran announced that he had formed a new political alliance, the Tamil People's Alliance (TPA, Thamizh Makkal Kootani).{{cite news |last1=Srinivasan |first1=Meera |title=Wigneswaran floats new political party |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/wigneswaran-floats-new-political-party/article25313312.ece |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Hindu |date=25 October 2018 |location=Chennai, India}}{{cite news |last1=Madushanka |first1=Romesh |title=Wiggy parts ways with TNA, forms TPA |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Wiggy-parts-ways-with-TNA-forms-TPA-157303.html |access-date=27 October 2018 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=24 October 2018 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}

In February 2020 the TPA joined with three other political parties to form the Tamil People's National Alliance (TPNA, Thamizh Makkal Tesiya Kootani) electoral alliance to contest the parliamentary election.{{cite news |title=New alliance for North |url=http://www.ft.lk/news/New-alliance-for-North/56-695397 |access-date=2 August 2020 |work=Daily FT |date=10 February 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |last1=Rajasingham |first1=K. T. |title=Disgruntled Tamil elements form a new alliance to divides Tamils further |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/node/93393 |access-date=2 August 2020 |work=Asian Tribune |date=10 February 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221021933/http://www.asiantribune.com/node/93393 |url-status=dead }} Vigneswaran became the alliance's leader.{{cite news |last1=Jeyaraj |first1=D. B. S. |author-link1= |title=How Will the TNA fare at Parliamentary Election? |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/How-Will-the-TNAfare-at-Parliamentary-Election/172-185559 |access-date=2 August 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=24 March 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=Polls at last; lacklustre election campaign ends tonight |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200802/columns/polls-at-last-lacklustre-election-campaign-ends-tonight-411316.html |access-date=2 August 2020 |work=The Sunday Times |date=2 August 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}} He contested the 2020 parliamentary election as one of the TPNA's candidates in Jaffna District and was elected to the Parliament.{{cite magazine |title=Part I : Section (I) — General - Government Notifications - Parliamentary Elections Act, No. 1 of 1981 |magazine=The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary |date=8 August 2020 |issue=2187/26 |page=5A |url=http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2020/8/2187-26_E.pdf |access-date=9 August 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}{{cite news |title=General Election 2020: Preferential votes of Jaffna District |url=https://ceylontoday.lk/news/general-election-2020-preferential-votes-of-jaffna-district |access-date=24 September 2020 |work=Ceylon Today |date=7 August 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027094033/https://ceylontoday.lk/news/general-election-2020-preferential-votes-of-jaffna-district |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last1=Jeyaraj |first1=D. B. S. |author-link1= |title=TNA suffers electoral setback in North and East polls |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/TNA-suffers-electoral-setback-in-North-and-East-polls/172-193440 |access-date=24 September 2020 |work=The Daily Mirror |date=8 August 2020 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}

In 2024 he was found to have personally requested liquor licenses from President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ranil had given Vigneswaran a license for a liquor shop in Killinochi. When questioned Vigneswaran denied the license was for his use but for a woman without parents.{{Cite web |title=வாழ்வாதாரத்திற்காக மதுபானசாலைக்கு சிபாரிசு! விக்னேஸ்வரன் கொடுத்த பதில் - தமிழ்வின் |url=https://tamilwin.com/article/liquor-permit-issued-by-cv-wigneswaran-1727659283 |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Tamilwin |language=ta}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vigneswaran, C. V.}}

Category:1939 births

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