Justice S Ratnavel Pandian, former Judge of the Supreme Court, passed away at Chennai this morning, at the age of 89.

Born in 1929, Justice SR Pandian graduated from Saint Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli. He obtained his law degree from the Madras Law College in 1954.

He practiced for nearly 17 years on both the trial and the appellate sides. In 1971, he was appointed State Public Prosecutor in the Madras High Court. He has also served as Advocate General for Tamil Nadu.

In February 1974, he was elevated as a judge of the Madras High Court. He has served as Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court twice in 1988.

On December 14, 1988, he was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of India, and retired in December 1994.

Justice SR Pandian concurred with the majority view the 1992 Indira Sawhney case, which upheld the constitutionality of reservation for backward classes. He was also part of the Bench that rendered the judgment in the Second Judges case.

After his retirement, Justice Pandian functioned as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes from 2006 to 2009.

In 2016, he was presented the Justice VR Krishna Iyer award, for commendable service in the field of law and human rights.

His son, Justice R Subbiah, currently serves as a judge of the Madras High Court.

Image courtesy: Tirunelveli Bar Association Website.