Neelan Tiruchelvam | |
|---|---|
நீலன் திருச்செல்வம் | |
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Vaddukoddai | |
| In office 1983–1983 | |
| Preceded by | T. Thirunavukarasu |
| Member of Parliament for National List | |
| In office 1994–1999 | |
| Succeeded by | Mavai Senathirajah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 January 1944 |
| Died | 29 July 1999 (aged 55) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Manner of death | Assassination (suicide bomb attack) |
| Citizenship | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Tamil United Liberation Front |
| Alma mater | University of Ceylon, Colombo Harvard Law School |
| Profession | Lawyer, academic |
Neelakandan Tiruchelvam, PC (Tamil: நீலகண்டன் திருச்செல்வம்; 31 January 1944 – 29 July 1999) was a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, academic, human rights activist and politician. He was a Member of Parliament and Director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. He advocated for a peaceful resolution to the Sri Lankan Civil War and is considered one of the most influential researchers on constitutional law and constitutional theory in Sri Lanka.
On 29 July 1999, Tiruchelvam was assassinated. The militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was widely blamed for the assassination, and the assassination received condemnation from around the world. In 2001 he was posthumously awarded the Law and Society Association first International Prize for "his distinguished scholarship in legal pluralism, human rights, constitutionalism, ethnic conflict, and the capacity of law to contain violence". He has also received posthumous recognition by the Train Foundation's Civil Courage Prize.