First female SC Judge, Justice Fathima Beevi passes away at 96

Justice M Fatima Beevi was the first female woman in Kerala to secure a law degree and first Muslim woman to become Governor of Tamil Nadu. She died at the age of 96 in a private nursing home today. She has received many awards and was also a social activist.

Chennai:India's first female Supreme Court Judge and former Tamil Nadu Governor, Justice M Fatima Beevi, passed away at a private nursing home in Kollam on Thursday. She was 96.

Hailing from Kerala's Pandalam, she was the first woman in Kerala to obtain a law degree and started her career as an advocate on November 14, 1950. After her retirement, she was appointed as Tamil Nadu Governor, first Muslim woman to hold the post.

She was honoured with the Hon. D.Litt and Mahila Shiromani Award in 1990. Also, she bagged the Bharat Jyoti Award and US-India Business Council Lifetime Award.

Justice Beevi did her schooling from Catholicate High School in Pathanamthitta and then passed BSc in Chemistry from University College in Trivandrum before pursuing a law degree from Government Law College in Ernakulam. Her career in Kerala judiciary started in 1950 and she served the posts of Kerala Subordinate Judicial Services Munsiff , Subordinate Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate, District & Sessions Judge and Judicial Member of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal.

In 1983 she became a High Court Judge and then created history when she was appointed as the first Supreme Court Judge in 1989. She was also appointed as the first Muslim woman Judge.

She retired from Supreme Court in 1992 and she was appointed as the Tamil Nadu Governor in 1997. During her tenure as the Governor, Justice Beevi also worked as Chancellor of Tamil Nadu university. She served as Governor till 2001. This apart, she also worked as a member of the National Human Rights Commission and chairperson of Kerala Commission for Backward Classes.

Justice Beevi was known as a philanthropist and social worker and was involved in organisations working for women empowerment. Earlier this year, a documentary titled 'Neethipathayile Dheera Vanitha' was released on her life.