Kochi: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday inaugurated the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court in Kochi, marking 70 years of the court, and called on High Courts across the country to strengthen public confidence by making justice accessible and transparent.
Source: Mirror Now
“Constitutional justice in India does not begin and end in New Delhi,” the Chief Justice said, stressing that the Supreme Court and the country's 25 High Courts are not competing destinations for justice but constitutional partners performing complementary responsibilities.
Source: India Legal
High Courts, he said, occupy a distinctive position because of their proximity to citizens and their understanding of local realities — whether a dispute concerns the livelihood of fishermen along the Malabar coast, agricultural land in Wayanad or the rights of workers in Kochi, the court closest to the people affected is best placed to appreciate the human consequences of a decision.
The Chief Justice also urged a review of the growing practice of litigants seeking urgent listings and early hearings in the Supreme Court for cases that are pending before High Courts. He raised questions about how urgent matters are identified, whether listing procedures are transparent and predictable, and how technology could help prioritise cases where delay could cause irreversible harm.
Source: The CSR Journal
A court of firsts
The Kerala High Court was established in 1956, the year the state of Kerala was formed, and inherited a judicial lineage running from the Travancore High Court of 1887 through the Travancore-Cochin High Court of 1949. Justice Anna Chandy became India's first woman High Court judge on its bench, and Justice M. Fathima Beevi went on to become the first woman judge of the Supreme Court. In 1999, the court became the first constitutional court in the world to prohibit smoking in public places, recognising the right to breathe clean air under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Source: India Legal
Supreme Court judge Justice Sarasa Venkatanarayana Bhatti and Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal attended the ceremony, which was presided over by Kerala High Court Chief Justice Soumen Sen. The Chief Justice launched a commemorative documentary on the court's journey and honoured P. Balakrishna Menon, who at 100 holds the Guinness record for the longest career as a practising lawyer.
Source: Mirror Now