“It is said that behind every successful man there is a woman, but behind every successful woman there is a family,” said Justice B.V. Nagarathna, judge of the High Court of Karnataka, here on Friday while underlining the role of her family members who ensured that she excelled in her profession as an advocate and as a judge.
In
her message to women advocates while replying to a farewell given to her on her elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court, she said women advocates can achieve their dream if they have access to right opportunity. “I therefore urge you to search out for these opportunities armed with faith in yourself and stride ahead to achieve all that you want to do and also to give back to society.”
Stating that her family members, including her in-laws, husband, two daughters, and the domestic help ensured that she was not burdened with domestic chores, Ms. Nagarathna added that it had not been easy for her to be the daughter of late E.S. Venkataramaiah (a former Chief Justice of India) as she was always tested in the light of his personality and judged accordingly.
Born on October 30, 1962, Ms. Nagarathna was elevated to the High Court in February 2008 as a first woman judge from the Bar. She is the first woman judge elevated to the Supreme Court from the High Court of Karnataka and will be in line to become the country’s first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027.
As the chairperson of the Karnataka Judicial Academy, she, for the first time, introduced training module for trial judges about laws on gender, children, and environment. As a member of the High Court’s building committee she had ensured installation of sanitary pad vending machine near washrooms on the High Court premises for use of women advocates, litigants, and staff.
Her recent judgment declaring that illegitimate children, irrespective of the personal laws applicable to their parents, are eligible for compassionate appointments in government service is among the important judgments she has rendered.
