Kerala High Court

Photograph of High Court complex from outside.

High Court of Kerala (Hindi: केरल उच्च न्यायालय) is the highest court in the Indian state of Kerala and in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The High Court of Kerala is headquartered at Kochi. Drawing its powers from the Constitution of India, the High Court has the power to issue directions, orders and writs including the writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari for ensuring the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution to citizens or for other specified purposes. The High Court is empowered with original, appellate and revisional jurisdiction in civil as well as criminal matters, and the power to answer references to it under some statutes. The High Court has the superintendence and visitorial jurisdiction over all courts and tribunals of inferior jurisdiction covered under its territorial jurisdiction.

The Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala is Justice H.L Dattu. The High Court of Kerala has a sanctioned judge strength of 40 out of which 25 judges are functioning at present. Depending on the importance and nature of the question to be adjudicated, the judges sit as Single (one judge), Division (two judges), Full (three judges) or such other benches of larger strengths.

The foundation stone for the new multi-storied building of High Court for housing the High Court of Kerala was laid on 14th March, 1994 by the then Chief Justice of India, Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah. The estimated cost of construction was twelve crore Indian rupees. The construction was completed in the year 2005 at a cost of eighty-five crore Indian rupees. The completed High Court building was inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Y.K.Sabharwal on 11th February, 2006. The new High Court building is equipped with modern amenities like videoconferencing, air conditioned Court rooms, intranetworking, information kiosks, facilities for digital filing of pleadings and retrieval of order copies and case status via internet etc. The building is built on five acres of land and has a super built-up area of 550,000 square feet on total nine floors. The building has in it a post office, bank, medical clinic, library, canteens and such other most needed utilities and services. This complex is the tallest High Court complex in India. The High Court of Kerala has moved to its new building from the date of its inauguration, from the adjacent Ram Mohan Palace, where it had been functioning.

History of Judicial System in State of Kerala

The present State of Kerala is result of integrating the erstwhile princely Kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar district and Kasaragod. The present judicial system in Kerala has its roots dating back to the days of the monarchs of the Kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin. Colonel Munro, who functioned as the British Resident cum political agent in the Kingdom of Cochin and as the Diwan in the Kingdom of Travancore is the key person who laid the foundations for a systematic legal system, which resulted in the present day scenario. Until his time, there were no independent tribunals for the administration of justice.

Judicial System in the Kingdom of Travancore

In the Kingdom of Travancore, Colonel Munro recommended necessary regulations to be passed for the reorganisation of the Courts. These recommendations were accepted by the then Thiruvithaamcoore monarch and a Regulation in tune to his recommendations, was passed in the year 1811. Zilla Courts and a Huzur Court were established in the Kingdom of Travancore, in the years 1811 and 1814 respectively. Huzur Court, which functioned as the final appellate Court was later replaced by Sadar Court in the year 1861. Sadar Court, which possessed almost all the powers of the present High Court of Kerala, continued functioning until 1881. Later in the year 1887, the High Court of Travancore was established with a bench strength of five judges. One among the five judges was appointed as the Chief Justice. The judges had the assistance of a Pundit, who acted alike an amicus curiae to advice them on the various points of Hindu law. Mr. Ramachandra Iyer was appointed as the first Chief Justice, at his prime age of 35.

Judicial System in the Kingdom of Cochin

In the Kingdom of Cochin, Desavazhis and Naduvazhis were empowered to settle the disputes following the prevailing customary law. More serious matters used to be attended by the monarch himself. In the year 1812, for the first time in its history, graded law courts were established under the Diwanship of Colonel Munro, in the Kingdom of Cochin. The first Subordinate Courts (Sub Courts) were established by Colonel Munro at Trichur (Thrissur) and Tripunithura. Until 1835, Huzur Court was the final appellate Court. Huzur Court had a bench strength of three judges. Later Huzur Court was reconstituted as Raja's Court of Appeal and Subordinate Courts were reconstituted as Zilla Courts. The Zilla courts were empowered with unlimited jurisdiction, but subject to the confirmation from the Raja's Court of Appeal. The Raja's Court of Appeal was reconstituted as the Chief Court of Cochin in the year 1900. The Chief Court of Cochin had three permanent judges one of whom acted as the Chief Judge. Mr. S. Locke was appointed as the first Chief Judge. Later the Chief Court of Cochin was reconstituted as the High Court, during the Diwanship of Sri. Shanmukham Chettiyar.

After the integration of Travancore and Cochin Kingdoms

After India gained her independence on 15th August 1947, Kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin were integrated to form the Travancore-Cochin State or Thiru-Kochi on 1st July 1949. Later, the High Court of Travancore-Cochin was established at Ernakulam, on the 7th of July 1949 under the Travancore-Cochin High Court Act, 1949. Mr. Puthupally Krishna Pillai acted the last Chief Justice of High Court of Travancore-Cochin.

Establishment of High Court of Kerala

On 1st November 1956, the States Re-organisation Act, 1956 was passed thereby integrating the State of Travancore-Cochin with Malabar district and Kasaragod to form the present State of Kerala. The High Court of Kerala as it is today, was established on 1st November 1956 as the High Court designated for the State of Kerala. The Kerala High Court Act, 1958 defined the jurisdiction and various functions, and powers of the High Court of Kerala. Initially, many cases from both the Travancore-Cochin High Court and the High Court of Madras were transferred to the High Court of Kerala for adjudication . Justice K. T. Koshi was appointed as the first Chief Justice of High Court of Kerala.

Present Judges of High Court of Kerala

Permanent Judges

1. Chief Justice H. L. Dattu

2. Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan

3. Justice J. B. Koshy

4. Justice Kurian Joseph

5. Justice P. R. Raman

6. Justice K. Balakrishnan Nair

7. Justice C. N. Ramachandran Nair

8. Justice K. Padmanabhan Nair

9. Justice Pius C. Kuriakose

10. Justice A. K. Basheer

11. Justice R. Basant

12. Justice K. M. Joseph

13. Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan

14. Justice V. Ramkumar

15. Justice K. Hema

16. Justice K. P. Balachandran

17. Justice M. N. Krishnan

18. Justice M. Sasidharan Nambiar

19. Justice K. T. Sankaran

20. Justice S. Siri Jagan

21. Justice T.R. Ramachandran Nair

Additional Judges

22. Justice Antony Dominic

23. Justice Harun Al Rashid

24. Justice V.K. Mohanan

25. Justice V. Giri

SENIORITY OF JUDGES ON THE DATE OF RETIREMENT

Justice K.Padmanabhan Nair 20-05-2008 Justice J.B.Koshy 13-05-2009 Justice K.P.Balchandran 01-06-2009 Justice K.Balakrishnan Nair 12-04-2010 Justice P.R.Raman 14-05-2010 Justice M.N.Krishnan 10-02-2011 Justice K.S.Radhakrinanan 15-05-2011 Justice A.K.Basheer 01-07-2011 Justice R.Basant 05-05-2012 Justice V.Ramkumar 07-05-2012 Justice C.N.Ramachandran Nair 01-10-2012 Justice M.Sasidhraran Nambiar 03-01-2013 Justice K.Hema 23-03-2013 Justice Pius Kuriakose 02-10-2013 Justice S.Siri Jagan 22-01-2014 Justice Kurian Joseph 30-11-2015 Justice K.T.Sankaran 25-12-2016 Justice K.M.Joseph 19-06-2020 Justice Thottathil. B.Radhakrishnan 29-04-2021 Justice T.R.Ramachandran Nair Justice Antony Dominic Justice Harun Al Rashid Justice V.K. Mohanan Justice V.Giri

Past Chief Justices in High Court of Kerala

1. Justice K. T. Koshi

2. Justice K. Sankaran

3. Justice M. A. Ansari

4. Justice M.S. Menon

5. Justice P. T. Raman Nair

6. Justice T. C. Raghavan

7. Justice P. Govindan Nair

8. Justice V. P. Gopalan Nambiyar

9. Justice V. Balakrishna Eradi

10. Justice P. Subramonian Poti

11. Justice K. Bhaskaran

12. Justice V. S. Malimath

13. Justice M. Jagannadha Rao

14. Justice Sujata V. Manohar

15. Justice M. M. Pareed Pillay

16. Justice U. P. Singh

17. Justice Om Prakash

18. Justice Arijit Pasayat

19. Justice ArvindVinayakarao Savant

20. Justice K.K. Usha

21. Justice B. N. Srikrishna

22. Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta

23. Justice Nauvdip Kumar Sodhi

24. Justice B. Subhashan Reddy

25. Justice Cyriac Joseph (as Acting Chief Justice)

26. Justice Rajeev Gupta

27. Justice V.K. Bali

28. Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan (as Acting Chief Justice)

See also

• High Courts of India

Notes

1. The Hindu, dated 21 November 2006

References

• High Court of Kerala
• Photographs - High Court of Kerala
• History of present judiciary in Kerala
• Speech at the inauguration of the new building
• Daily Cause List of High Court of Kerala
• Daily Cause Lists of the various High Courts in India
• Calendar of High Court of Kerala
• Judgments of High Court of Kerala
• Supreme Court of India
• India Code
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