Meet Adv Sarah Sunny, India's First Lawyer With Hearing Impairment

Advocate Sarah Sunny made history as India's first registered practising lawyer with a hearing impairment. On April 8, the High Court of Karnataka became the first in the country to hear submissions from a speech and hearing-impaired lawyer through a sign language interpreter. On April 4, the court directed its Registry to secure the services of a Certified interpreter through the Ministry of Information and Technology to assist her. Adv Sunny and the Karnataka HC set a remarkable precedent for persons with disabilities. This would pave the way for a more inclusive judiciary not only for legal professionals but also for citizens with hearing impairments.

The single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna and Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath lauded the HC for Adv Sunny's registration. Speaking to Live Law, ASG Kamath remarked, "Karnataka High Court will go down in history as the first high court to have heard a hearing and speech advocate through an interpreter."

Sarah Sunny: First Hearing Impaired Lawyer

Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, has repeatedly advocated for the inclusivity of more women from various backgrounds in the Indian judicial system. Adv Sarah Sunny's registration as the country's lawyer with a speech and hearing impairment is a significant milestone in breaking barriers for Indians with disabilities.

Adv Sunny hails from Kottayam, Kerala, and pursued a Bachelor's degree in law from St. Joseph's University in Bengaluru. She chose the legal profession not only out of interest but also to encourage others who are hearing impaired. Adv Sunny is now an active member of the Advocacy of the National Association of Deaf and the Human Rights Law Network.

In September 2023, Adv Sunny scripted history when she became the first hearing-impaired lawyer to argue a case in the Supreme Court of India. CJI Chandrachud heard the case in a virtual meeting interpreted by Saurabh Roy Choudhary and arranged by advocate-on-record Sanchita Ain.

In a conversation with Live Law, Adv Sunny said, “The open mind of CJI Chandrachud has set an example and opened doors for specially-abled persons." Speaking to NDTV, AoR Ain said, "The significance of this moment ties in with the challenges that remain on the path to true inclusivity and accessibility within the Indian legal system."