Justice Manjula of Madras high court retires after 30 years in judicial service

CHENNAI: A chemistry graduate inspired by the Tamil movie ‘Vidhi’, in which the lead actress was a lawyer, bought her first advocate’s robe with money earned by working as an accountant in a timber shop. She was also denied access through the ‘judges only’ entrance on the Madras high court campus in 1986. Thirty-four years later, advocate R N Manjula entered through the same entrance as Justice Manjula.

On Friday, after her 30-year stint as a judge in the district and high court judiciary, Justice Manjula retired from service. “I spent 30 years in service. I performed my duties to the best of my ability. Every stage brought a different challenge. But every challenge taught me something about life,” she said in her reply to the farewell address by advocate-general P S Raman.


“Being a judge is not an easy thing. It changes our lifestyle. The habits and manners we learn in one chapter will not help in the other chapters of our life. I had to change a great deal of myself to grow into the role of a judge. For nearly 30 years, I wore that judicial armour with commitment and discipline. Now, as I step away from the Bench, it is time to lay down that armour and return to the mantle that is truly my own,” she said.

“The institution (high court) existed before us, and it will continue long after us. Our responsibility is to nurture it during the time entrusted to us,” she added.

Justice Manjula, a native of Dindigul, enrolled as an advocate in 1987. In 1995, she was selected to the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Service as a Civil Judge and was first posted in Madurai district.

Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and gift idea !