M. Fathima Beevi
| M. Fathima Beevi | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Governor of Tamil Nadu | |
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In office 25 January 1997 – 3 July 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Krishan Kant |
| Succeeded by | Dr. C. Rangarajan |
| Member of National Human Rights Commission of India | |
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In office 1997–2001 |
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| Judge of Supreme Court of India | |
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In office 6 October 1989 – 29 April 1992 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
30 April 1927 Pathanamthitta, Travancore, Kerala, British Raj (now Kerala, India) |
| Parents | Meera Sahib (father) Khadeeja Bibi (mother) |
| Religion | Islam |
M. Fathima Beevi was the first female judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court of India (1989) and the first Muslim woman to be appointed to any higher judiciary. On her retirement from the court she served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission and as Governor in Tamil Nadu (1997–2001).
Fathima bieba was born on 30 April 1927 at Pathanamthitta, Travancore (now Kerala, India) as the daughter of Meera Sahib and Khadeeja Bibi.
She did her schooling in Catholicate High School, Pathanamthitta and got her B.Sc. from University College, Trivandrum. She obtained her B.L. from Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.
She was enrolled as Advocate on 14 November 1950. She began her career in the lower judiciary in Kerala. She was appointed as the Munsiff in the Kerala Sub-ordinate Judicial Services in May, 1958. She was promoted as the Sub-ordinate Judge in 1968 and as the Chief Judicial Magistrate in 1972, as District & Sessions Judge in 1974.
She was further appointed as the Judicial Member of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in January, 1980. She was then elevated to the High Court as a Judge on 4 August 1983.
She became permanent Judge of the High Court on 14 May 1984. She retired as the Judge of the High Court on 29 April 1989 but was further elevated to the Supreme Court as a Judge on 6 October 1989 where she retired on 29 April 1992.
Her appointment to the Supreme Court over several senior judges was seen as a political decision by Rajiv Gandhi following the controversy over the Muslim Women's (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act.
She later went on to become Governor of Tamil Nadu on 25 January 1997. Appointing her as the Governor of the TN and Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang, former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, as Governor of Kerala, the then President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma said "Their experience of and insights into the working of the Constitution and the laws comprise valuable assets."
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