New Delhi, Jan 26 (.) Justice KT Thomas, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the field of law and public affairs.
Justice Thomas served as a Judge of the Supreme Court from March 29, 1996, to January 30, 2002, during which he authored several landmark judgments in criminal law and constitutional law.
He began his judicial career as a District and Sessions Judge in 1977 and was elevated as a Judge of the Kerala High Court in 1985.
Born in 1937 in Kottayam, Kerala, Justice Thomas received his early education at Baker Memorial School, CMS College High School, and CMS College, Kottayam, before pursuing higher studies at St. Albert’s College, Kochi, where he was elected Chairman of the College Union.
He studied law at Madras Law College and began his legal career under senior advocate Joseph Maliakal in Kottayam.
He later established an independent practice and built a distinguished career across civil and criminal law, mentoring several junior advocates.
While practising as an advocate, Justice Thomas led an Indian delegation to the World Conference on Peace held in Texas, USA, in 1976, and was elected Chairman of one of the commissions constituted at the conference.
After he retired from the Supreme Court, Justice Thomas continued to contribute to legal reform and public discourse.
In 2017, the Kerala Government constituted the Kerala Law Reforms Commission under his chairmanship.
The Commission submitted the Kerala Church (Properties and Institutions) Bill, 2019, which was later not pursued by the State Government following opposition from sections of the Christian community.
Justice Thomas is known for his strong and consistent views on socio-legal issues.
In 2011, he opposed the proposed Communal and Targeted Violence Bill.
In recent years, he has publicly endorsed the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Uniform Civil Code, and has also spoken on issues concerning democracy and constitutional governance.
In May 2025, he described the imposition of the Emergency by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as an attempt to undermine democratic institutions.
Justice Thomas’s son, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, is presently a Judge of the Kerala High Court.
The conferment of the Padma Vibhushan marks a significant recognition of Justice K.T. Thomas’s long and distinguished judicial career, as well as his enduring influence on Indian legal thought and reform.
. SNG SAS .