Bench Clerk's son to Supreme Court Judge; Justice CT Ravikumar bids farewell to Kerala High Court

Justice Ravikumar is the 15th Keralite to be elevated to Supreme Court and fifth judge of the Kerala High Court to become a Supreme Court judge without occupying the position of Chief Justice of a High Court.

CT Ravikumar of Kerala HC

Kerala High Court judge Justice CT Ravikumar, bid an emotional farewell to his parent High Court on Friday after his appointment to the Supreme Court was notified by the Central government on Thursday.

In his farewell speech, Justice Ravikumar fondly remembered and professed gratitude to his late mother and sister and late father who had worked as a bench clerk to a magistrate.

"At this moment of happiness I prostate with the memories of my parents, father late Sri K Devan, who was a Bench Clerk in Judicial first Class Magistrate Court, Changanassery, mother late Smt. Saraswathy and also my late elder sister, late Smt. Radhamani, whose blessings from the heavenly abode takes me to this position," he said teary-eyed.

"I offer my pranamam (salutation) to to the almighty for blessing me with love," he added.

The farewell ceremony was organised by the High Court.

After thanking the Chief Justices and senior Judges and lawyers he worked with, Justice Ravikumar also recalled the contributions of senior lawyers under whose tutelage, he started his career as a lawyer.

"I bow before the memories of my gurus, late Sri PS Vasudevan, with whom I started my practice and late Mr. MK Damodaran former advocate general who really shaped me as a lawyer and I should say, a person who was eligible for elevation."

Justice Ravikumar also had a word of advice for young members of the Bar.

"This erudite Bar made me eligible for elevation. If you assay the reason of success of doyens of this Bar, you can find that assiduity and hard work are the reasons of their success. Hence my humble request to the junior members of the Bar to emulate them on that and there is no short cut in this profession which is exciting, exacting and at the same time one that is offering exaltation."

Justice Ravikumar ended his address with some pandemic appropriate advice, "during this pandemic period, I should say, stay safe in the home, keep distance. Thank you"

Born in January 1960, Justice Ravikumar obtained Law degree from the Government Law College, Kozhikode. Thereafter, he enrolled in 1986 and started practice at Ernakulam in Civil, Criminal, Service and Labour matters. He also worked as Govt.Pleader, Senior Govt.Pleader and Special Govt.Pleader.

In January 2009, he was appointed as an additional judge of Kerala High Court and he was made permanent judge in December 2010.

Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, S Manikumar, in his address revealed that Justice Ravikumar is the fifth judge of the Kerala High Court to be elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court without occupying the position of Chief Justice of a High Court.