Kasinather Saunthararajah PBM SC (3 March 1930 – 17 June 2010),[1] known professionally as K. S. Rajah, was a Senior Counsel and Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

The decision prompted Parliament to amend the Women's Charter in 1996 to permit transsexual people to marry in the capacity of their new gender.

He was conferred the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) at the National Day Awards in August 2002, and in October 2008 received the C.C.

His first job was as a wireless operator on shore for the Penang port authority, using Morse code to communicate with vessels at sea.

[3][4] Coming to Singapore in 1950, he started working as a teacher at Sembawang Primary School,[2][4] and was sent for further training in the United Kingdom in 1953 on a scholarship from the Ministry of Education.

[7] Rajah joined the Singapore Legal Service in 1963, becoming a deputy public prosecutor and, later, senior state counsel with the Attorney-General's Chambers.

[12] In September 1967 he led the prosecution of 262 members of the Barisan Sosialis political party (dissolved in 1988) for unlawful assembly and disturbing the peace, Singapore's largest criminal trial.

[7][13] He eventually led the Chambers' civil and criminal sections[6][9][14] until 2 August 1972, when he was appointed to head the Official Assignee and Public Trustee's Office.

[23] In addition, he served as Chairman of the Law Society of Singapore's Committee on Guidance for the Legal Profession on Anti-Money Laundering.

in an appeal, submitted that a magistrate should have allowed his client to compound her offence of abusing her maid, arguing that "[t]he idea of composition is international".

The Chief Justice said that Rajah, a person of "tremendous experience and wide learning", had stated in one of his "wonderful articles" that the death penalty was unconstitutional due to international law.

"[26] On 22 March 2005, Rajah delivered a speech on the subject of his article at a LAWASIA conference in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

He also served with the Hindu Endowments Board, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Temple, Mount Alvernia Hospital and the Society for the Physically Disabled.

[7] He was survived by his wife Gnanambigai Rajah; his sons Surenthiraraj (known as Suressh; as of June 2010 he was Head of Aviation and Shipping and a civil and commercial litigation partner at Harry Elias Partnership)[35] and Yogenthiran, and daughters Jothie and Vaani; eight grandchildren; and 11 of his siblings.

[36] Rajah was conferred the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) at the National Day Awards in August 2002.