Justice Fathima Beevi, India's First Woman Supreme Court Judge, Passes Away at 96

India’s first woman judge of the Supreme Court Fathima Beevi breathed her last at a private hospital at Kollam on Thursday. She was 96-years-old and was in hospital for a while.

Beevi, who was living at her home in Pathanamthitta after retirement, has a number of firsts to her name.

Apart from being the first woman judge of the apex court she was the first Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and the first Muslim female Governor (Tamil Nadu).

Incidentally Beevi enrolled herself as an advocate in 1950 and began her career in the lower judiciary in Kerala.


Beevi was appointed as a Munsiff in the Kerala Sub-ordinate Judicial Services in May 1958. She was promoted as the Sub-ordinate Judge in 1968, as the Chief Judicial Magistrate in 1972 and as District and Sessions Judge in 1974.

Beevi was further appointed the Judicial Member of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in January 1980 before being elevated to the High Court as a Judge on August 4, 1983.

Beevi became permanent Judge of the High Court on May 14, 1984. She retired as the Judge of the High Court on April 29, 1989 but was further elevated to the Supreme Court as a Judge on October 6, 1989 where she retired on April 29, 1992.


Beevi later went on to become the Governor of Tamil Nadu on January 25, 1997 and she quit in 2001 following a decision of the Union Government recommending to the President to recall her.- IANS