Justice P. Janaki Amma (1920–2005), was a former judge of the

Kerala High Court The High Court of Kerala is the List of high courts in India, highest court in the Indian state of Kerala and the Union territory of Lakshadweep. It is located in Kochi. Drawing its powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the Hig ...

. She was the second woman in India to be a judge of a High Court. She served as a judge until 22 April 1982. A lifetime spinster, she died in 2005 after a prolonged illness.

Early life and career

Janaki Amma was born in a village in

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

district of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

and lived most of her life in

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...

. She joined the Cochin Praja Mandalam after completing her studies and later joined the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

. She participated in the

Indian Independence Movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

from 1940 to 1944 . She was a member of the Ernalkulam Municipality from 1949 to 1953. She was also the first woman municipal chairperson of Travancore-Cochin. She left active politics after joining the judicial services. High Court of Kerala Building

Judiciary

She started her legal career as a junior advocate to

Panampilly Govinda Menon Panampilly Govinda Menon (1 October 1906 – 23 May 1970) was an Indian politician, freedom fighter, and lawyer. He was born in a village near Kathikkudam and completed graduation from '' St.Thomas College, Thrissur''. He started his legal pra ...

and later on served as district magistrate, district and sessions judge of

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

Tellicherry Thalassery () (also called Tellicherry) is a city and municipality on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahe and Kozhikode. Thalassery municipality has a population of just under ...

and

Manjeri Manjeri () is a major town and municipality in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It is the fourth-most populous List of cities and towns in Kerala, municipality in the state. It is situated southeast of Calicut International Airport, Karipur ...

prior to her elevation to the High Court. She was appointed as a judge of the

on 30 May 1974, becoming the second woman in India to have occupied that seat. She retired from the

on 22 April 1982.

Probes and enquiry commissions

She continued to be very active in the judiciary field after retiring from the High Court. In 1983, she was appointed by the state government to probe the Vypeen liquor tragedy that killed several people. Based on her recommendations, the government amended section 57(A) of the Abkari Act. The section deals with the prevention of adulteration of liquor with noxious substances that could endanger human life or cause grievous hurt. Under the section, enforcement officials, if found guilty of not taking reasonable precautions to prevent adulteration of liquor with lethal substances, could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and fine up to Rs. 50,000. She was engaged by the

Kerala Government The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK), also known as the Kerala Government, is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. ...

in other probes and enquiry commissions.

People's Council for Social Justice (PCSJ)

In 1985, she became the founder president of the People's Council for Social Justice (PCSJ), an organization that was created by the initiative of Shri Justice

V. R. Krishna Iyer Justice Vaidyanathapuram Rama Iyer Krishna Iyer (15 November 1914 – 4 December 2014) was an Indian judge who became a pioneer of judicial activism. He pioneered the legal-aid movement in the country. Before that, he was a state minister and ...

, former Judge of the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

. This organization mainly focuses on the development of women, children, scheduled castes scheduled tribes and other backward sections of society to ensure social justice through legal assistance and legal education. PCSJ has extended its activity towards uplifting the living standards of the disadvantaged and make them aware of their rightful place in the society.

Greenery in Kochi

She was popular for her efforts related to providing greenery in

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amma, Janaki 1920 births 2005 deaths Judges of the Kerala High Court 20th-century Indian women politicians 20th-century Indian politicians Politicians from Thrissur Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala People from Ernakulam district Women in Kerala politics Indian independence activists from Kerala 20th-century Indian judges Women from the Kingdom of Cochin People from the Kingdom of Cochin Women Indian independence activists Women educators from Kerala Educators from Kerala 20th-century Indian women judges