KOCHI: Former Kerala High Court Chief Justice KK Usha (81) passed away in Kochi on Monday. She was the first Malayali woman to have served as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

Usha, who enrolled at the Bar in 1961, became Government Pleader in 1979. She became a judge in 1991 and went on to serve as the Chief Justice of the High Court from 2000 to 2001.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed deep grief at the demise of Usha and described her as a person who had contributed immensely to the judiciary as an advocate and as a judge.