Justice Asha Menon

Justice Asha Menon was born on 17th September, 1960 at Pattambi, Kerala. She studied in different schools across India and completed her schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sector IV, R.K. Puram, New Delhi. She graduated in Economics (Hons.) from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi in 1979 and thereafter LLB from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi in 1982. Justice Menon was the youngest to enroll with the Bar Council of Delhi in that year. In 2006, she obtained her LLM from Kurukshetra University. 
Justice Menon was selected in the Delhi Judicial Service Exam conducted in 1984-85 and joined the service on 04th November, 1986. Justice Menon presided over various Courts in all jurisdictions over a period of about 14 years including, civil, criminal, rent, guardianship insolvency, etc and was promoted to the Delhi Higher Judicial Service on 16th August, 2000.
She dealt with Land Acquisition Reference matters, litigation against public utilities such as, the Electricity Board/discoms, Delhi Jal Board, the then Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other civil matters. While holding the Sessions Court, she was designated as the Special Court to deal with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) prosecutions after the 2014 amendment and enhancement of the penalties and was one amongst the three set up in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi and was the first Court to start disposals and convictions in the country. 
Justice Menon underwent mediation training in 2005 conducted by Institute for the Study and Development of Legal Systems (ISDLS), California and subsequently was selected for training as a Master Trainer by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), London at the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution, (ICADR), New Delhi. She has conducted training sessions in mediation in various parts of the country including Kerala, Chennai, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Indore and several other places.
On 12th September, 2008, Justice Menon was posted as the Member Secretary, Delhi State Legal Services Authority and remained as such, till 31st October, 2012. During this tenure, many firsts were achieved. The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 was implemented in full measure with the creation of District Authorities. In each district of Delhi, full time Secretaries were appointed, Mega Lok Adalats were organized and several outreach programmes initiated. For the first time in India on 8th February, 2009, a paperless Lok Adalat was held, when without moving the files, thousands of cases pertaining to Section 138 Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 were disposed of. 
As a Member Secretary, she was called upon by the Delhi High Court to submit various reports, which formed the basis of orders with far reaching effect touching upon the welfare of the economically weaker sections such as anganwadi, night shelters, missing children and mentally ill, to name a few. 
Justice Menon was instrumental in ensuring the availability of a Magistrate at the Jama Masjid outreach of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) to facilitate orders to provide involuntary treatment for homeless persons suffering from mental illness. Justice Menon played a significant role in formulation of the Jail Parole Guidelines, 2010. For improving the quality of free legal aid, a training programme for the legal aid panel lawyers was also put in place by her with a prescribed syllabus. The para legal volunteer scheme and school literacy programme in Delhi Schools and Colleges were also commenced during her tenure. Under her charge, two significant national level programmes were organized in co-ordination with the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for highlighting the issues faced by transgender persons and the working of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
At the international level, Justice Menon has represented India at the ‘Asia Pacific Regional Consultation on HIV-related Legal Services and Rights’ in 2012 at Bangkok, Thailand. She has also visited Malawi, Africa as a member of the Indian delegation under the aegis of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
On completion of her tenure in 2012, Justice Menon was posted to the Sessions Court but was again called to become the Member Secretary of the National Legal Services Authority on being so selected by the then Chief Justice of India and held the position till December, 2015. For the first time under her supervision, National Lok Adalats were commenced on regular basis. Commendation programmes were held at national level to acknowledge the work of para legal volunteers and the district legal services authorities across the country. 
She has helped in framing several schemes for effective legal services in keeping with the mandate of NALSA under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. She also assisted in the preparation of training modules for legal aid lawyers, para legal volunteers and probation officers.
As the Member Secretary, NALSA, she was called upon to submit several reports to the Supreme Court of India in respect of missing children, implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and the rehabilitation of trafficked children and women and the protection of the rights of voluntary sex workers. As Member Secretary, she assisted the Supreme Court in the case of National Legal Services Authority of India vs. Union of India, a landmark decision for protection and enforcement of the rights of transgender persons including the right to identify as third gender. 
In 2016, she was also appointed Chairperson of a Committee constituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India for drafting new rules under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 which have since been notified.
On return from NALSA, in January, 2016, she took charge as the Family Court Principal Judge (HQ)-cum-District Judge at Dwarka. With effect from July, 2016 till December, 2016, she worked as District and Sessions Judge, South East, Saket and with effect from December, 2016 till 26th May, 2019, she worked as the District and Sessions Judge, South-cum-Judge-Inchange, Saket, New Delhi. 
On 27th May, 2019, Justice Menon was elevated as a permanent judge of the High Court of Delhi. 
Retired on 16.09.2022.