KERALA GOVERNMENT  - LEGISLATURE 

The Legislature comprises of the Governor and the Legislative Assembly. The Governor has the power to Summon and Prorogue the Assembly or to dissolve the same.

    The Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected, normally once in every five years by the adult population who are eligible to vote. The present Kerala Legislative Assembly consists of 140 elected members and one member nominated by the Governor from the Anglo-Indian Community.

    The House elects one of its own members as its Presiding Officer and he is called Speaker. Speaker is assisted by the Deputy Speaker who is also elected by the House. The Conduct of Business in the House is the responsibility of the Speaker.

    The Main function of the Assembly is to pass Laws. Every Bill passed by the House has to be assented to by the Governor/President before it becomes law. The Subjects over which Assembly has exclusive power to make law are the subjects mentioned under the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

    The normal term of the Legislative Assembly is 5 years from the date appointed for its first meeting. But while a proclamation of Emergency is in operation, the said period will be extended by Parliament by Laws for a period not exceeding one year at a time.

KERALA GOVERNMENT - EXECUTIVE

The Executive of the State consists of the Governor, the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers. The Governor is appointed by the President of India. His term of office is five years. The Governor appoints the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers. Governor summons, prorogues and dissolves the Legislature. He can dissolve the Legislative Assembly on the recommendations of the Chief Minister. 

For more information, Logon to the Official Website of the Govt. of Kerala

EPABX No : 2393901 2393902 2393903 2393904 2393905 : highcourt@ker.nic.in
2393906 2394588 2394589 2394590 .
Fax No : 0484 - 2391720

High Court of Kerala came into being from 1st November 1956, with its seat at Ernakulam. Its roots go back to the Rulers of Travancore-Cochin, to Colonel Munro - the British Resident and Diwan in the Travancore State and the political agent in Cochin State- the architect of the well regulated judicial system in both these native states, to the High Court of Madras with its tradition of a hundred years and over, to the Travancore High Court, to the Cochin High Court and to the Travancore Cochin High Court.

Till the time of Colonel Munro who was the British Resident and Diwan of Travancore there was no provision for the administration of justice in the form of independent Tribunals. In order to reform the Judicial System he submitted a regulation to reorganise the courts. Her Highness the Rani who insisted upon the preservation of the trial by ordeal passed the Regulation in 1811. In 1811, Zilla courts were established and in 1814, a Huzur Court (Court of Appeal) was also established. The Huzur Court was the final court of appeal. The Sadar Court replaced this court of appeal (Huzur Court) in 1861. The Sadar Court practically possessed all the powers now exercised by the High Court, it functioned from 1861 to 1881. The High Court of Travancore was established in 1887 with five Judges, one of whom was the Chief Justice with a Pandit to advise the judges on points of Hindu Law, by the illustrious sovereign Sri. Visakham Thirunal of revered memory. The first Chief Justice of Travancore High Court was Mr. Ramachandra Iyer a young man of 35 then.

It was during the Diwanship of Col. Munro in 1812 A.D. that graded law courts came to be established for the first time in Cochin State. Prior to that Desavazhis and Naduvazhis settled disputes according to custom. More serious disputes were sometimes taken to the king himself. Col.Munro established two Sub Courts one at Trichur and other at Tripunithura. A Huzur court of final appeal with three judges was also established in Ernakulam. This system continued till 1835. The Huzur Court was reconstituted as the Raja's Court of Appeal and the Sub Courts were reconstituted as the Zilla Court. The Zilla Courts were given unlimited jurisdiction, but subject to confirmation by the Raja's court of appeal. It was in 1900 that the Raja's Court of appeal was reconstituted as the Chief Court of Cochin with three permanent Judges with Mr. S. Locke, Bar at Law as the first Chief Judge. Thereafter, during the Diwanship of Sri. Shanmukham Chettiyar, the Chief Court became the High Court.

On the integration of Travancore-Cochin State after independence on 1st July 1949, it was on the 7th of July 1949 that the High Court of Travancore-Cochin was inaugurated with its seat at Ernakulam. The last Chief Justice of Travancore High Court was Shri. Puthupally Krishna Pillai. Under the state re-organisation Act, 1956 Travancore Cochin State and Malabar were integrated to form the State of Kerala, on 1st November 1956. High Court of Kerala was thus established on that day. It inherited 3409 main cases from Travancore-Cochin High Court and 1504 cases from the High Court of Madras. Its territorial jurisdiction extends to the entire State of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

Click here to see list of Kerala Court Judges