K. T. Thomas | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Justice Thomas in 2023 | |
| Judge of theSupreme Court of India | |
| In office 29 March 1996 – 30 January 2002 | |
| Judge of theHigh Court of Kerala | |
| In office 12 August 1985 – 26 March 1996 | |
| District and Sessions Judge | |
| In office 12 September 1977 – 11 August 1985 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1937-01-30)30 January 1937 (age 88) |
| Spouse | Susan Tharuni Thomas |
| Children | Dr. Binu Prathap Thomas, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, Bipin Cherian Thomas |
| Residence | Kottayam |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan (2007) |
| Signature |  |
Kallupurackal Thomas Thomas (born 30 January 1937) is an Indian former judge who served on theSupreme Court of India and is known for his strong opinions on Indian socio-political matters. He was awarded thePadma Bhushan by theGovernment of India in 2007 for services in the field of social affairs.[1]
K. T. Thomas was born inKottayam district on 30 January 1937. After schooling at Baker Memorial School, he completed his Pre-University course fromCMS College Kottayam andB.A. atSt. Albert's College, Kochi, where he served as the College Union Chairman. He studied law atMadras Law College (now Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai).[2]
He enrolled as an advocate in 1960 and started his career inKottayam as a junior advocate to Joseph Maliakal, a leading lawyer of those days. Soon, he set up his private practice at District Court, Kottayam and later, at theHigh Court of Kerala. In 1977, he was directly selected as District and Sessions Judge, securing first rank in the selection tests. He was promoted as a Judge of the High Court of Kerala in 1985 and served as the Acting Chief Justice in 1995. In 1996, he was appointed as a Judge of theSupreme Court of India.[2] During his practice as an advocate, he led an Indian delegation to the World Conference on Peace held atTexas, United States in 1976. He also served as chairman of one of the Commissions set up at the World Conference.[3]
Thomas retired from service in 2002 and lives atMuttambalam in Kottayam district. His autobiography,Honeybees of Solomon, published in 2008, is an account of his judicial service of 25 years,[4] which has since been published in Malayalam asSolomontae Theneechakal.[5]His son, JusticeBechu Kurian Thomas, who was one of the youngest to be a designated Senior Advocate of the Kerala High Court was sworn in as an Additional Judge of the Kerala High Court in March 2020.
Justice Thomas presided over theSupreme Court bench that confirmed the death sentence in theRajiv Gandhiassassination case.[6]
Justice Thomas is very vocal in expressing his views.
His recommendations on the fee structure for professional education inKerala at unaided institutions also drew opposition from the institution owners.[7]
In August 2011, he made a public speech where he exoneratedRSS from the assassination ofMahatma Gandhi[8] which generated heated public debate.[9]
His opposition to the Communal and Targeted Violence bill also created a stir. He termed the Bill divisive and against theconstitution of India.[10]
Though Justice Thomas wrote a dissenting note on the report of the Empowered Committee regarding the maintenance of the water level atMullaperiyar Dam, his concurrence with the report stating that the dam was safe raised criticism in his home state ofKerala.[11]
In theRajiv Gandhiassassination case, he opined in 2013 that the three accused sentenced to death should be spared from capital punishment due to the delay of 23 years in carrying out the punishment.[12]
In March 2014, Thomas declined the offer of theGovernment of India to head the selection committee ofLokpal stating the "recommendations of the search committee are not binding on the selection committee. Therefore, the work of the search committee can as well be done by the selection committee itself."[13] Another matter of public interest was his letter to theChief Justice of India on allegations raised by Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave regarding the disposal of a 12-year-old land allotment case by a two-judge bench headed by JusticeC. K. Prasad, which was actually listed before another three Judge Bench.[14]
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