In 1899, Cornelia Sorabji was admitted to the Allahabad High Court, becoming the first woman lawyer to practice law in India. Despite having a law degree from Oxford, she found it hard to get enrolled in India because the law at that time did not allow women to practice. Her induction at the Allahabad High Court paved the way for more women to enter the legal profession in India. In 1937, Justice Anna Chandy became the first female judge in the country when the Travancore Maharaja appointed her Munsif. Later, she was appointed to the Kerala High Court as a judge in 1959.
The Muslim community was still some years away from giving its first female judge. Justice M. Fathima Beewi, who died on November 23rd, was the first Muslim woman appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India. Born to Annaveettil Meer Sahib and Khaddeja Beewi in Pathananmthitta in 1927, Fathima obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from Government Law College in Thiruvananthapuram. She began her practice as a lawyer in 1950 and took only eight years to become a Munsif magistrate. She also served as the Tamil Nadu Governor from 1997 to 2001 when Jayalalitha was the Chief Minister of the State.
In May 2001, she attracted controversy when Jayalalitha, who was disqualified from contesting elections, was invited to become the Chief Minister. Beevi breathed her last on November 23rd and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kollam district of Kerala.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Fathima Beewi on X, saying, "Saddened by the passing away of Justice M. Fathima Beewi. A true trailblazer, her remarkable journey broke several barriers and greatly inspired women. Her contribution to the legal field will be cherished."
She also holds the distinction of being the first woman appointed as the Governor of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Her term as a Supreme Court judge and subsequent roles have contributed to breaking gender barriers in the Indian judiciary.
Congress politician Shashi Tharoor, who hails from Kerala, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "A legend has perished. Justice Fathima Beewi, the first female judge of the Supreme Court of India in 1989, passed away at the age of 96 in Kollam, Kerala. She was also the first Muslim woman to be appointed to the higher judiciary. On her retirement from the court, she served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission and later as the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1997 to 2001. We shared the stage on a couple of occasions in later years, and I was impressed by her direct and quietly forceful manner. She was genuinely the pride of Kerala. Om Shanti."
In the Supreme Court, the representation is still quite skewed, with only 11 judges since M. Fathima Beewi's appointment in 1989. Out of the total 11 women judges till now, three are sitting judges today, and among them, B.V. Nagrathna, who was elevated from Karnataka High Court, is favourably tipped to become the first female Chief Justice of India by 2027.
The representation of women in High Courts has also not improved significantly, and as of 2021, there were only 76 out of the total 650 judges in High Courts, forming just 11.7% of the total strength. Several high courts do not have a single woman judge.
Another notable thing is that the country is yet to see a Dalit women judge in India even after 75 years of independence.
1937: Anna Chandy became the first women judge in India.
1959: Chandy became the first women judge in the High Court after being appointed to the Kerala High Court.
1989: M. Fathima Beewi was appointed the first women judge in the Supreme Court.
1991: Justice Leila Seth became the first Chief Justice of a high court after being appointed as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.
2005: Justice Ruma Pal became the longest-serving female judge of the Supreme Court of India.
2018: Justice Indu Malhotra became the first female judge to be elevated directly from the Bar Council of India.
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