Judge's career is not filled with rose petals: Kerala High Court judge Justice Mary Joseph in farewell speech

A judge's career is not a path filled with rose petals, Justice Mary Joseph said in her farewell speech on Friday..Justice Joseph reflected on her humble beginnings and her journey marked by "countless trials, challenges, and triumphs"."A judge's career is not a path filled with rose petals. I can say for sure that I need no reminder about the same," she said.Justice Joseph is set to retire on June 2 and the High Court organised a farewell reference for her on Friday..At the farewell function, Chief Justice AJ Desai lauded Justice Joseph for her unwavering commitment to justice.“Decision making as a judge is a challenging responsibility and Justice Mary Joseph was fully cognizant of her duties. On going through the judgments, it is evident that Justice Mary Joseph's commitment to justice has been unwavering,” he said. He highlighted her contributions beyond the bench and also revealed her talent at pencil drawing. "I have also learned that she is talented at pencil drawing. Her absence on the bench will create a void. I have no hesitation to state that during her tenure in the High Court, Justice Joseph has discharged her duties and responsibilities in conformity with the true spirit of the oath administered to her," he stated.With regard to Justice Mary demitting the office, he said, "She has been a hospitable colleague to her fellow judges, and her absence on the bench would undoubtedly create a void.".Justice Joseph in her speech said that she was standing before the crowd "with a heart full of mixed emotions." .She expressed her gratitude towards her family for their love and support and also thanked lawyers, staff and judges for their assistance throughout her career.She also thanked almighty for helping her overcome obstacles and challenges. "Last not least but the most important of them all, I thank God Almighty and my Holy Mother Mary after whom I was named for all the blessings showered on me and protection given to me since I was a child. My prayers and belief have helped me overcome many obstacles and challenges in my journey so far. While I lay down my office, I leave it with my head held high and my heart full of mixed emotions." She ended her address on a hopeful note."Time will arise when history will judge itself. A time will come when truth shall prevail. I hope the retirement life will provide me enough time to pursue some of the dreams cherished by me. My ardent prayer to the Almighty is to give the ability and strength to do good till the end. Thank you and Jai Hind.".Justice Joseph completed her LL.B from Government Law College, Ernakulam and LLM from Cochin University of Science and Technology.She enrolled as an advocate on January 1, 1986 and practiced mainly in civil and criminal law at the High Court of Kerala and various subordinate courts. She served as an Additional District Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor at the District Court in Ernakulam from 1993 to 1996.From 2001 to 2015, she was a District Judge in the Kerala judiciary. On April 10, 2015, she was sworn in as an additional judge of the High Court of Kerala. She was made a permanent judge on April 5, 2017.