Justice K T Thomas

Kallupurackal Thomas Thomas is a former Indian Supreme Court Judge. He was born on 30 January in 1937 in the Kottayam district of Kerala. He completed his schooling at Baker Memorial School and went to CMS College, Kottayam for a pre-university course. He obtained his B.A Degree from ST. Albert’s College, Ernakulam. He started studying law at Madras Law College and initiated his career in Kottayam as a Junior advocate under the fierce lawyer, Joseph Maliakal. Then he started practicing privately at the district court of Kottayam and later in the High Court of Kerala. Obtaining the first rank in the selection tests, he was appointed as the District and Sessions Judge, in 1977. In 1985 he became a Judge in the Kerala High Court. It was in 1996 that he served the Supreme Court as a Judge. As a practicing advocate, he led the Indian delegation at the World Conference on Peace held in Texas, the USA, in 1976. Justice Thomas was one of the bench members who delivered the death sentence for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case.

Former Justice Thomas is known for his intense opinions on current happenings and socio-political matters of India. One of his remarks that stirred public debate was when he termed the communal violence bill as divisive and unconstitutional. He also made a few recommendations for changes in fees structure in the unaided colleges of Kerala for pursuing Higher Studies, which received heavy opposition from the owners of the Institution.

He retired from his 25-year-long service in 2002. Seven books were authored by him. In his autobiography titled Honeybees of Solomon, Menon provides a chronicle of his judicial service of 25 years. Menon’s Son, Justice Bechu Kurien, went on to become one the youngest advocates to be appointed as Senior Advocate in the Kerala High Court; he also took oath as an Additional Judge of the Kerela High Court in March, 2020.

In 2007, on the Republic Day of India, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his services in the legal arena.