Ba U

Sir Ba U, KBE (Burmese: ဘဦး, pronounced [ba̰ ʔú]; 26 May 1887 – 9 November 1963), was a Burmese politician and lawyer. He served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Burma from 1948 to 1952,[1] and President of the Union of Burma from 16 March 1952 to 13 March 1957.

Agga Maha Thray Sithu Agga Maha Thiri Thudhamma Sir Ba U KBE
ဘဦး
2nd President of Burma
In office 16 March 1952 – 13 March 1957
Prime Minister	U Nu Ba Swe
Preceded by	Sao Shwe Thaik
Succeeded by	Win Maung
Personal details
Born	(1887-05-26)26 May 1887 Pathein, Lower Burma, British India
Died	9 November 1963(1963-11-09) (aged 76) Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)
Nationality	Burma
Political party	AFPFL
Spouse(s)	Daw Nyein (died 1922) Daw Aye (died 1941)
Education	MA (Cantab), LLD
Alma mater	University of Cambridge
Occupation	Lawyer
Awards	Thiri Thudhamma Thingaha

Born

He was born on 26 May 1887 at Pathein in the Irrawaddy delta, son of U Poe Hla and Daw Nyunt.

Education

He passed university entry class from Ragoon Government High School. In 1907 he attended the University of Cambridge to study law and graduated in 1912. In the early 1950s, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters at the University of Rangoon.[2]

Career

He was employed as a lawyer in Yangon between 1913 and 1921. In 1921 he became a district judge. He was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Burma from 1948 to 1952. He was knighted in 1947. He was a member of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League. Ba U served as a judge under British, Japanese and Burmese rule. He wrote an autobiography, Ba, My Burma: The Autobiography of a President (New York: Taplinger, 1958). It contains little in the way of a discussion of public issues.

Family

In 1913 he married Daw Nyein, daughter of retired district judge Aung Zan, and they had two sons. Daw Nyein died in 1922. In 1923 he married Daw Aye, daughter of governor Soe Pe. With her he had two sons and a daughter. Daw Aye died in 1941. He died on 9 November 1963.

References

1. Zan, Myint. "Judicial Independence in Burma: Constitutional History, Actual Practice and Future Prospects" (PDF). Southern Cross University Law Review. 4: 45.
2. "Zan, Myint --- "The First and Fiftieth Years of Independent Burma's Law Reports" [2004] VUWLawRw 14; (2004) 35(2) Victoria University of Wellington Law Review 385". www.austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 30 August 2019.

Political offices
Preceded by Sao Shwe Thaik	President of Burma 1952–1957	Succeeded by Win Maung