The first woman judge of the Supreme Court and former Governor of Tamil Nadu, Justice Fathima Beevi, died at a private hospital here on Thursday, official sources said. She was 96.
Born in Pandalam, Kerala Fathima Beevi obtained her Bachelor of Law Degree from the Government Law College, and she enrolled as an Advocate on November 14, 1950, Live Law reported. Beevi was appointed as a High Court Judge in 1983, and a Supreme Court Judge in 1989.
Beevi was the first Muslim woman Judge to be appointed to any Higher Judiciary, and holds the distinction of being the first woman Judge of a Supreme Court of a nation in Asia, Live Law reported.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George condoled her death by saying that the demise of Justice Beevi was extremely painful.
The minister said that Justice Beevi made a mark as the first woman judge of the Supreme Court and as the Tamil Nadu Governor. "She was a brave woman who had many records to her name. She was a personality who through her own life showed that willpower and a sense of purpose can overcome any adversity," George said in a statement.