G. G. Ponnambalam
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Honourable G. G. Ponnambalam MP MSC KC |
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| ஜி. ஜி. பொன்னம்பலம் | |
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| Minister of Industries, Industrial Research and Fisheries | |
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In office 3 September 1948 – 22 October 1953 |
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| Preceded by | C. Sittampalam |
| Succeeded by | Kanthiah Vaithianathan |
| Member of the State Council of Ceylon for Point Pedro |
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In office 1934–1947 |
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| Member of the Ceylonese Parliament for Jaffna |
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In office 1947–1960 |
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| Succeeded by | Alfred Duraiappah |
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In office 1965–1970 |
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| Preceded by | Alfred Duraiappah |
| Succeeded by | C. X. Martyn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 December 1901 |
| Died | 9 February 1977 (aged 75) |
| Political party | All Ceylon Tamil Congress |
| Alma mater | Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Ethnicity | Ceylon Tamil |
Ganapathipillai Gangaser Ponnambalam (Tamil: கணபதி காங்கேசர் பொன்னம்பலம்; 8 November 1901 – 9 February 1977) was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and cabinet minister. He was the founder and leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), first political party to represent the Ceylon Tamils.
Ponnambalam was on 8 November 1901. He was the son of Gangaser, a postmaster from Alvaly in northern Ceylon. He was educated at St. Patrick's College, Jaffna and St. Joseph's College, Colombo. Ponnambalam joined Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge on a government scholarship, graduating with a first class degree in natural sciences tripos. He also received M.A. and LL.B. degrees from Cambridge.
Ponnambalam married Rose Alagumani Clough. They had a son (Kumar) and a daughter (Vijayalakshmi).
Ponnambalam was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn. He returned to Ceylon, via France, in 1927 and started practicing law as an advocate. An outstanding debater, Ponnambalam became one of the leading criminal lawyers in the country and was made a King's Counsel in 1948. Ponnambalam appeared in several high-profile legal cases during his legal career. He was one of the defence lawyers in the 1954 Ranjani taxi cab case at which his cross examination of fingerprint experts resulted in the acquittal of all four accused and changes to finger print law. As his popularity began to decline in the late 1950s Ponnambalam gradually moved his legal practice to Malaya, only returning to Ceylon to contest elections and take part in high-profile cases.
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