THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Supreme Court lawyer Lily Thomas, 91, passed away in New Delhi on Tuesday morning. The lawyer breathed her last at a private hospital. She was the first Malayali woman lawyer in the Supreme Court and was known for filing several public interest litigations in the apex court seeking improvement and changes in existing laws and current system.
Daughter of Changanassery native late Adv KT Thomas and Annamma, Lily, who was single all through her life, was brought up in Thiruvananthapuram and studied in Chennai. After graduating in law from Madras University, she started her practice in Madras High Court and later moved to Delhi in 1960s for research purpose and started practising in the Supreme Court.
Lily was instrumental in striking down Section 8(4) of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, which had given protection to sitting MPs and MLAs from disqualification if convicted in cases. She had also challenged laws allowing bigamy upon conversion and it was upon her PIL, the SC ruled that a man who entered into a marriage alliance as per Hindu laws cannot enter into a second marriage merely by changing his religion, unless his first marriage is legally dissolved.