Kerala High Court was formed in November 1, 1956, the day on which Kerala State was formed. Its headquarters is at Ernakulam. Only five judges (including Chief Justice) were functioning at that time.
Now High Court consists of 27 permanent judges including the Chief Justice and 12 Additional Judges.
The first Chief Justice is Justice K. T. Koshi.
The Present Chief Justice is H.L. Dathu.
Law Courts were established for the first time in 1812 AD during the Diwanship of Col. Munro. Col. Munro established two sub courts one at Thrissur and the other at Tripunithura.
Zilla courts (1811) and Huzur Court (1814) were established subsequently. The Huzur Court became the final court of appeal. Its headquarters is Kochi. The system of Huzur Court continued till 1835.
The Huzur court was reconstructed as the Raja's Court of Appeal and the sub courts were reconstituted as the Zilla court.
The Sadar Court replaced this Huzur Court in 1861. Sadar Court practically possessed all the powers now exercised by the High Courts.
The High Court of Travancore was came into existence in 1887. The first Chief Justice of Travancore High Court is Ramachandra Iyer. He was only 35 years when he became the Chief Justice.
The Last Chief Justice of Travancore High Court is Puthupally Krishna Pillai.
In 1900, the Raja's court of appeal was reconstituted as the Chief Court of Cochin.
Chief Court became the High Court during the Diwanship of Shanmukham Chettiyar.
The High Court of Travancore - Cochin was came into existence in Ernakulam.
The first woman judge of India is Justice Anna Chandy. She is the first woman High Court judge in India and also in Commonwealth countries. She is also the first woman judge in a district court (1937) and the first woman in getting the law degree in Travancore State.
The first female judge in the Supreme Court of India (1989) is Justice Fathima Beevi. She is the first Muslim woman to be appointed to any higher judiciary in India.
The last Supreme Court judge to have previously served as a politician is Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer. In 1952, he was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. In 1957, he became minister (law, power, prison, irrigation and social welfare) in the first Communist government in Kerala.
The first Malayalam Judge of the Supreme Court (1956-57) is Justice P. Govinda Menon. He was the first Principal of the Kerala Law Academy.
India's first woman Magistrate is Omanakunjamma. She is Kerala's first female IAS officer.
The first judge from Kerala to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is Justice K.G. Balakrishnan. He is the first Dalit Chief Justice in the Supreme Court.
The First High Court judge who resigns in service is V.V. Giri.
Lower Courts
The lower courts of High Court are District Courts, Munsiff Courts, District Magistrate Courts, I Class, II Class, III Class Magistrate courts etc.
Jurisdiction of a District is under District Sessions Court.
There are 14 Principal District Courts, 29 Additional District Courts.
There are 51 Sub Courts, 82 Munsiff Courts, 16 Munsiff Magistrate courts and 38 Fast track courts functioning in the State.
Lakshadweep Courts
Kerala High Court is the High Court for Lakshadweep also.
Munsiff - Magistrate Court is functioning in Amini and Androth.
District and Session Court is located in Kavaratti.
Lok Adalat (People's Courts)
Lok Adalat in Kerala was started on November 15, 1988.
Lok Adalat settles dispute through conciliation and compromise.
Woman Chief Justices
The first woman Chief Justice of Kerala high court is Sujatha V. Manohar (1994).
The first Malayalee woman Chief Justice of Kerala High Court is K.K. Usha.
30th Chief Justice of Kerala High Court is Manjula Chellur. She is the first woman Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court and also the first female judge of the Karnataka High Court.
Lok Adalat is conducted by Kerala State Legal Services Authority.
Permanent Lok Adalat is located at Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.
High Court Legal Service Committee is conducting regular Adalat on all working days.
Women Judges of Kerala High Court
Justice Anna Chandy 1959-1967
P. Janaki Amma 1974-1982
M. Fathima Beevi 1983-1989
Sujatha V. Manohar 1994-1994
D. Sreedevi 1997-2001
K.K. Usha 1991-2001
Lakshmikutty 2000-2004
K. Hema 2004-2013
M.C. Hari Rani 2008-2011
Dr.Justice Manjula Chellur 2011-2014
Justice Annie John – 2017-2019
Malayalee Judges of Supreme Court
Parakkulangara Govinda Menon
C.A. Vaidyalingam
K.K. Mathew
V.R. Krishna Iyyer
B. Balakrishna Eradi
V. Khalid
T. Kochu Thomman
M. Fathima Beevi
K.S. Paripoornan
K.T. Thomas
K.G. Balakrishnan
P.K. Balasubramaniam
K.S. Radhakrishna Panickar
Cyriac Joseph
Special Courts
Two special courts exclusively for the trial of NDPS cases (drug trafficking) are at Thodupuzha and Vadakara.
Two special courts for the trial of Abkari Act cases are at Neyyattinkara and Kottarakkara.
Special court for the trial of Essential Commodities Act cases is at Thrissur.
There are two special courts for the trial of CBI cases.
There are 22 Motor Accidents claims Tribunals and 3 Wakf Tribunals in the State.
There are sixteen family courts in the state.
Kerala Judicial Academy
Directorate of Training started in 1986 became the Kerala Judicial Academy in 2005.
Its Headquarters is at Ram Mohan Palace, Kochi.
It deals with judicial education, Training and Research.
Chief Justice of High Court is the chief patron of this Academy.
Juvenile Homes
Children between 5 and 18 years are lodged here.
In Kerala, there are 6 Juvenile homes, 14 observation homes, One Balasadanam and 2 Special homes.
Advocate General
The Advocate General (AG) for each State is appointed by the Governor under the Article 165(1) of the constitution.
AG is a legal adviser to a state government.
The Advocate General and his office keep and look after the concern of the State Government in the High Court.
Its location is at Ernakulam.
The first Advocate General is K.V. Suryanarayana Iyer.
Kerala State Human Rights Commission
It was established on 11th December 1998. It is Constituted as per the Section 21 of the Protection of the Human Rights Act, 1993.
The Commission enquiries all sorts of human atrocities mentioned in the Protection of Human Rights Act.
Its Head Quarters is Thiruvananthapuram.
Ombudsman
Its headquarters is Trivandrum.
Ombudsman was setup only for Local Self Government Institutions started functioning in the year 2000.
Ombudsman is headed by Retired Judge of the High Court.
This is a high powered quasi judicial body functioning at the state level.
Ombudsman carry out investigations and look into the cases of mal administration, corruption, discrimination, partiality, dishonesty, unnecessary action, forced action, misuse of position against local governments in the state or the subsidiaries functioning under them.
The first Ombudsman is Justice P.A. Mohamed.
Kerala Administrative Tribunal
Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) is situated at Thiruvananthapuram.
It is established on 22nd December 2011.
Its Chairman is Justice K. Balakrishnan Nair.
KAT consists of three judicial members, including the chairman, and three non judicial members. Of the three benches, two will be based in Trivandrum and one in Kochi, to handle the cases from north Kerala.
It deals all the service related cases of State Government employees.
Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA)
KELSA is giving legal help to poor and weaker section of the state for attaining their legal rights.
KELSA consist of panel of lawyers specialised in various fields to give legal aids.
The Motto of KELSA is "Access to justice for all".
It also conducts Lok Adalats and gives effect to the policies and direction of NALSA (National Legal Service Authority).
Legal literacy class at school, college levels for women's self help groups `Kudumbasree' are by NALSA conducted.
District Judge of 14 Districts are officiated as chairman of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSA).
63 Taluk Legal Service Committees are managed by the corresponding senior most Judicial Officers of the particular centres.
Kerala Women's Commission
Its headquarters is Trivandrum.
It is constituted as per the section 17 of Kerala Womens Commission Act, 1990.
Commission formed for the improvement of women status and to enquire into unfair prac-tices affecting women.
The first Chairperson is Sugathakumari.
Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
Its location is Thiruvananthapuram.
It was formed as per the provision contained in the Consumer Protection Act 1986.
Consumer Courts was established in kerala during the year 1990 along with the Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. There would be one district forum in each district.
Kerala State Commission for Backward Classes
It is statutory Commission constituted under the KSCBC Act 1993 (Act 11).
The Commission consists of a Chairman who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court appointed by the Government.
Commission is to examine the requests for insertion of any group of citizens as backward classes in the lists.
An amendment was made to the Act in 2000.
Lok Ayukta
The Lok Ayukta was formed under the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999 (Act 8 of 1999).
Lok Ayukta enquires into the charge of corruption, fraud and mal-administration towards the public servants and also the rapid redressal of grievances of the community.
Its headquarters is Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala Lok Ayukta is Pius C. Kuriakose.
Upa Lok Ayukta is K.P. Balachandran.
Lok Ayukta should be any of a earlier Supreme Court Judge otherwise a High Court Chief Justice. Likewise, there is two Upa Lok Ayuktas who were earlier Judges of High Court.
The Lok Ayukta and Upa Lok Ayuktas are selected on the instruction from the Chief Minister of the state and also considering the opinion from the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Opposition Leader of the State.
