Kerala: Thanya Nathan is all set to create judicial history in Kerala. A young lawyer from Kannur district, she has become the first visually challenged person to crack the Kerala Judicial Service examination, earning a place among the state’s Civil Judges (Junior Division).
Nathan, who is 100 per cent visually impaired, secured the first rank among candidates with benchmark disabilities in the recently held judicial service examination. She now stands poised to become Kerala’s first visually challenged woman judge, once the state government issues her appointment letter. Judicial sources say this is likely the first time a candidate with visual disability has cleared the judicial service exam in the state.
Academic excellence despite visual impairment
A graduate of Kannur University, Thanya Nathan topped her LLB examinations, graduating with a first rank. She continued to practice law in Taliparamba, Kannur, as a junior to senior advocate K.G. Sunilkumar. According to the Hindu reports, it was during her initial years of practice as an advocate that she was encouraged by her seniors and colleagues to appear for the judiciary exams, a route that until recently was not open to candidates such as her.
Thanya Nathan, overcoming numerous hurdles, pursued her legal studies with Braille textbooks and later with the aid of screen-reading software to access study materials. As a practising attorney, she wrote her arguments in Braille script and adjusted to technology to read legal texts. Although she admits that accessibility, especially to old documents and court infrastructure, may be a challenge, she is not deterred.
Supreme Court verdict that opened doors
The achievement comes just short of one year after a historic Supreme Court ruling recast the grounds for visually challenged aspirants.
Just last March 2025, a panel of judges presided over by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan ruled: “Visually impaired persons could be appointed to judicial services and must not be denied opportunities simply because they are disabled.
Affirmative actions must be taken by state governments to build an inclusive framework within the judicial system itself."
“No candidate can be denied such opportunity solely on account of disability,” the Supreme Court had observed, a ruling that paved the way for Ms. Nathan’s participation and eventual success.
Her upcoming appointment has also thrown the spotlight on the need for systemic changes. Judicial sources point out that courtrooms, chambers, offices and even the broader justice delivery system in Kerala will need to be made more accessible to accommodate judges and lawyers with disabilities.
