Lady judicial officers often have to pull off a tough balancing act, observed Justice Sophy Thomas on Wednesday, on the eve of her retirement from the Kerala High Court. .Justice Thomas, whose career spanned over three decades, was also the first woman Registrar General of the Kerala High Court.At a full-court reference held at the Kerala High Court to bid farewell to retiring judge, who demits office on February 13, Justice Thomas expressed her deep gratitude for the support she had received throughout her career.Justice Thomas shared her experiences as a woman in the judiciary, describing her journey as a 'tightrope walk' in balancing the demands of being a judicial officer while maintaining personal and professional commitments."(It is) a tight rope walk for a lady judicial officer - multitasking (by) a lady judge without compromising judicial work is not that easy. It was a lifetime journey with trials and tribulations, but I can proudly say that I was second to none in disposing of cases," she said.She reflected on the values she upheld as a judge and reminded judicial officers that they must be aware of their responsibility. Being a judge requires strength and fortitude, she said. "A judge must be aware of the seriousness of their work, administering justice while upholding constitutional values without fear or favor,” she observed.On a concluding note, Justice Thomas added that she drew strength straight from the Almighty and advised young lawyers to be true to themselves, their clients, the Court, and even their opponents..In his address, Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar expressed his deep admiration for Justice Thomas, highlighting her role in shaping judicial administration in the State."Her tenure as the Registrar General was transformative, particularly with the introduction of the IT Directorate, which paved the way for the digitization of the Kerala High Court," remarked Chief Justice Jamdar..Additional Advocate General Ashok M Cherian and President of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association Yeshwant Shenoy also spoke at the event..Justice Sophy Thomas was born on February 13, 1963, to the late Eluvichira Mathew Thomas and Elikutty Thomas.She pursued her legal education at Government Law College, Ernakulam, followed by a Master of Laws (LL.M) from Mahatma Gandhi University.Her journey in law began with practice in the lower courts at Thodupuzha for three and a half years.She then joined the judicial service as a Judicial Magistrate of the Second Class in Mavelikkara. Over the years, she held several key positions, including Judicial First Class Magistrate in Mavelikkara, Munsiff in Perumbavoor, and the office of Additional Munsiff in Thrissur.She went on to serve as the Judicial First Class Magistrate in Vaikom and Vadakara before being appointed as Additional Sub Judge in Ernakulam in 2005.She was then appointed as a Sub Judge in Muvattupuzha, followed by an appointment as the Additional District and Sessions Judge at the Special Additional Sessions Court in Kozhikode for the trial of the Marad cases.In 2011, she was appointed as a Judge of the Family Court in Ettumanoor and later served as a Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal and District and Sessions Judge in Alappuzha before being posted as the District and Sessions Judge in Thrissur in 2018.Justice Thomas made history when she was appointed as the Registrar General of the Kerala High Court on May 27, 2020, becoming the first woman to hold this position.On October 20, 2021, she was elevated as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Kerala and was confirmed as a permanent judge on July 31, 2023..[Read Live Coverage]
