Bechu Kurian Thomas ( ml, ബെച്ചു കുര്യൻ തോമസ്) is an Indian judge who is presently serving as a judge of

Kerala High Court The High Court of Kerala is the 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 High Court has the power to issu ...

Early life and education

Bechu Kurian was born at

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south-we ...

as the second son of Justice K. T. Thomas and Susan Tharuni Thomas. He has completed his schooling from Corpus Christi School, Kottayam, St. Joseph's Boys' Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode and St. Aloysius Higher Secondary School,

Quilon Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...

, pre degree from

Government Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram Government Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram, also known as H.H. The Maharaja's College for Arts, is one of the oldest undergraduate and postgraduate, coeducational college located in Trivandrum, Kerala. It was established in the year 1948. The c ...

and obtained law degree from

Government Law College, Ernakulam The Government Law College, Ernakulam, also known as His Highness the Maharajas Government Law College, Ernakulam is an prestigious institution for undergraduate and post-graduate legal education in , Kerala, India. Founded in 1874, it is the ...

securing 1st rank in the University in 1992 and was awarded with ''Annamma Kunjacko Memorial Gold Medal''.

Career

Bechu Kurian enrolled in 1992 and started practicing as a lawyer at Kottayam. He shifted to Ernakulam in 1995 and started practicing in various courts including Supreme Court of India, High Court of Kerala, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, National Green Tribunal etc. He specialised in the fields of Constitutional law, Administrative law, Taxation laws, Corporate law, Arbitration, Environmental laws, Civil Law, Criminal law, and Maritime law. In 1997 he received British Council Chevening Scholarship and underwent study and training in English Commercial Law and Practice at the College of Law, York and at Hammond Suddards, London. He started his office ''Bechu Kurian & Co'' at Ernakulam in 1998. He served as law reporter of Kerala Law Journal from 1997 to 2002. He served as standing counsel for Kerala University from 2014 to 2015. In 2015 he was designated as Senior Advocate by Kerala High Court. 6 March 2020 he was appointed as additional judge of Kerala High Court and became permeant judge with effect from 28.05.2021.

Notable rulings

Child sexual abuse laws in India

In August 2022, bench of Justice Thomas, while hearing a bail plea in a sexual offence under Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012, expressing the concern and quoting Erin's Law, the first law passed in the United States requiring sexual abuse prevention education to be taught to students in school every year, issued guidelines and directions to the Government of Kerala and

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

to introduce a ''Prevention-Oriented Program on Sexual Abuse'' in the curriculum from the next academic year.

References

External links

High Court of Kerala
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Bechu Kurian Living people Judges of the Kerala High Court 21st-century Indian judges 1968 births Indian judges