Former Supreme Court judge Justice A.R. Lakshmanan died at a private hospital in Tiruchi on August 27. His wife Meenakshi Aachi had died on August 25, and he was in grief.
Justice Lakshmanan is survived by two sons A.R.L. Arunachalam and A.R.L. Sundaresan, practising as a designated senior counsel in the Madras High Court, and two daughters Umayal and Saravanavalli.
According to family members, the former judge was admitted to the hospital following a cardiac ailment.
The former judge's wife Meenakshi Achi died at a private hospital after she had tested positive for COVID-19. Only four people from the family were allowed to be present while the burial was conducted by the civic authorities in Tiruchi.
Born in Devakottai in Sivaganga district on March 22, 1942, Justice Lakshmanan had obtained his degree in law from the Madras Law College in 1966 before commencing his practice as a lawyer for 23 years. In 1990, he was appointed as a judge of Madras High Court and was elevated as Chief Justice of Kerala High Court in 1997. Thereafter, he served as Chief Justice of Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh High Courts till 2002.
Justice Lakshmanan was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in 2002 and retired in 2007. He was part of the Bench that banned smoking in public places. Subsequently, he held the post of Chairman of the Law Commission and submitted 32 reports to the government on judicial reforms.
Justice Lakshmanan was associated with various clubs and sabhas in Chennai and in Karaikudi.
