Visvanathan Ponnan (born 17 August 1960) is a South African

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

of the Supreme Court of Appeal. He joined the

Gauteng High Court The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law which has general jurisdiction over the South African province of Gauteng and the eastern part of North West province. The main seat of the division is at Pretoria, ...

in 2001 and was elevated to the Supreme Court of Appeal in December 2004. Before that, he practised as an advocate in

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

between 1985 and 2001.

Early life and education

Ponnan was born on 17 August 1960 in

. He matriculated at Gandhi Desai Secondary School and went on the University of Durban–Westville, where he completed a BA in 1982 and an

LLB A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 1984.

Legal practice

He was admitted as an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...

of the

High Court of South Africa The High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law in South Africa. It is divided into nine provinces of South Africa, provincial divisions, some of which sit in more than one location. Each High Court division has general jurisdiction ov ...

in 1985 and practised at the Durban Bar for the next 16 years. During that time, between 1995 and 1998, he served on the Judge White Commission, which was established by President

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

to investigate the administration of the former

TBVC states A Bantustan (also known as a Bantu peoples, Bantu homeland, a Black people, black homeland, a Khoisan, black state or simply known as a homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party (South Africa), National Party administration of the ...

. He was also a commissioner of the

Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) is an independent tribunal which adjudicates labour disputes in South Africa. It was established in November 1996 in terms of Section 112 of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, which ...

between 2000 and 2001, and he was an acting judge in the

Eastern Cape High Court The Eastern Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The main seat of the division is at Makhanda, with subordinate local seats at Gqeberha ...

in 2000.

Judicial career

Ponnan joined the bench permanently in 2001, when he was appointed as a judge of the

. During his latter years in the High Court, he was an acting judge in the Supreme Court of Appeal between 2003 and 2004. In October 2004, he was one of six candidates shortlisted and interviewed as a candidate for appointment to one of three vacancies at the Supreme Court of Appeal. The Judicial Service Commission recommended his appointment, and he was appointed by President

Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who served as the 2nd democratic president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Cong ...

in November 2004, alongside Dunstan Mlambo and

Chris Jafta Christopher Nyaole Jafta (born 1959) is a retired South African judge who served in the Constitutional Court of South Africa from October 2009 to October 2021. Formerly an academic and practising advocate in the Transkei, he joined the bench in ...

. He was often noted for his judgements on

open justice Open justice is a Legal doctrine, legal principle that requires that judicial proceedings be conducted in a transparent manner and with the oversight of the people, so as to safeguard the rights of those subject to the power of the court and to all ...

matters and freedom of information, and he wrote the court's judgements in prominent matters concerning Western Cape Judge President

John Hlophe Mandlakayise John Hlophe (born 19 May 1959) is a South African jurist and politician, currently serving as the Deputy President of uMkhonto weSizwe and the Leader of the Opposition of South Africa. He was the Judge President of the Western ...

and the corruption prosecution of former President

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Zuma was a for ...

Personal life

He is married to Vinitha Jithoo and has two children.

References

External links

Visvanathan Ponnan
at Supreme Court of Appeal
V. M. Ponnan
at Judges Matter {{DEFAULTSORT:Ponnan, Nathan Living people 1960 births 21st-century South African judges 20th-century South African lawyers 21st-century South African lawyers People from Durban University of Durban-Westville alumni South African people of Indian descent Judges of the Gauteng High Court Judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa)