Ariranga Pillay

Ariranga Pillay in 2005.

Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay(Tamil:அரி ரங்க கோவிந்தசாமி பிள்ளை;born 14 June 1945) was thechief justice of Mauritiusfrom 1996 until 2007, when he was succeeded byY. K. J. Yeung Sik Yuen.

Early life

He studied Economics and Political Science at theLondon School of Economics and Political Sciencefrom 1966 to 1969, gaining a B.Sc (Econ) degree, after which he studied law atMerton College, Oxford,graduating in 1971 with a B.A in Jurisprudence. He wascalled to the baratLincoln's Inn,Londonin 1972. On his return to Mauritius he practised law and worked as a legal adviser to the Attorney General's Office and Ministry of Justice in Mauritius until 1987. He held numerous appointments, among others Principal Crown Counsel, AssistantSolicitor Generaland Parliamentary Counsel at the Attorney General's office and Ministry of Justice.

He was appointedPuisne Judgeand later, Acting Senior Puisne Judge of theSupreme Court of Mauritiusfrom 1987 to 1996. On 1 May 1996 he was appointed the Chief Justice of Mauritius, retiring on 13 June 2007. In November 2001, he was elected as an Honorary Bencher of Lincoln's Inn.

After the resignation ofAngidi Chettiarhe became acting President of Mauritius from 18 February 2002 until 25 February 2002, whenKarl Offmannwas elected to this office.

He is the Chairman of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission of Mauritius. He is also a member of theUnited Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rightssince 1997as well as the appointed Adviser to the Governing Council of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies.