Proposal to shift Kerala High Court from Kochi to Kalamassery under consideration

A proposal to shift the Kerala High Court from its current premises in the heart of Kochi city to the suburb of Kalamassery is currently under consideration before the State government..A report by Mangalam said that it is with a view to improve operational efficiency that the High Court administration asked the State government to consider shifting the location of the Court to a more convenient space.Interestingly, the new proposed location, Kalamassery is also the constituency of current State Law Minister, P Rajeev. Kalamassery is also connected to several National Highways, the Seaport-Airport Road and the Kochi Metro Rail.Soon after the High Court complex was inaugurated in 2006, complaints regarding poor quality of construction started spreading in legal circles.The present location of the High Court is prone to flooding and waterlogging during the monsoon. This, coupled with the fact that the roads that connect the premises to the main roads are barely enough for two lanes of traffic, has left many lawyers and court staff disgruntled. In fact, on many days when the city was lashed with heavy rainfall, the High Court would delay its sitting by several hours, with some judges unable to reach the Court at all..The 8 storey building has been decrepit for quite some time. Even though, in 2018, the Court had undertaken some structural strengthening work, there has been no apparent improvement in the facilities available inside. Another issue that is talked about in legal circles is the lack of parking facilities in the premises of the High Court. Even though the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association has a building right next to the High Court with additional parking space, the same has not proven sufficient, even during the Covid-19 period when footfall was far less. .The Kerala High Court Registrar was not available for comment when Bar & Bench reached out. The story will be updated with a statement from High Court if and when it is received.