Fatima Beevi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fatima Beevi
Born	Pathanamthitta, Kerala
Known for	First woman Judge of Supreme Court of India

Justice Fatima Beevi was the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of India 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.

She began her career in the lower judiciary in Kerala. 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 and was embroiled in controversy when she gave a clean chit to the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu that prompted the ire of the Central government. Union Minister for Law, Arun Jaitley asked for her resignation.