Justice K John Mathew, featured in Limca Book of Records, passes away in Kochi

KOCHI: Former Kerala High Court judge and senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Justice K John Mathew (93), passed away. The body will be taken to his residence on Ernakulam Veekshanam Road at 7.30 am today. Public viewing will be held at the Elamkulam Cemetery Chapel of St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral from 9.30 am. The cremation will be at the church cemetery at 11.30 am on Saturday.

Justice John Mathew, a member of the Pathanamthitta Mepral Kattappuram family, started practising as an advocate in Thiruvalla in 1954. He came to Kochi in 1959. He worked as a Government Pleader and a visiting lecturer in the Law Department of Cochin University. He became a High Court Judge in 1984. In 1989, John Mathew entered the Limca Book of Records for disposing of the most cases. He also set a record by disposing of 607 cases in a single day under the Company Law jurisdiction.

After retiring in 1994, he became a senior advocate in the Supreme Court. He practised in Delhi until 2003. He also served as the Chairman of the Commission constituted by the government in 2005 to study the effects of mineral sand mining, Chairman of the Selection Committee under the Juvenile Justice Act, and as the SEBI Nominee Director/Chairman of the Cochin Stock Exchange.

He also held the positions of Independent Director of Muthoot Finance, President of People's Council for Social Justice, Member of the Working Committee of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Member of the Board of St. Gregorios Medical Mission Hospital, Parumala, and St. Mary's Boys' Home, Thalacode. He was also the Head of the Ethics Committee of the Cardiological Society of India, Lisie Hospital, Kochi, and Lourdes Hospital.

Family members:

Wife: Late Gracie. Children: Susan Ajith, Mary Joy, and Annie Thomas. Sons-in-law: Ajith Mathew Pullipadavil (Retd. HNL), N.J. Joy Naduparambil (Chartered Accountant), Thomas Isaac Mathathimyalil (Business).