Cabinet meeting approves establishment of Judicial City in Kalamassery

A cabinet meeting has given approval to establish a Judicial City in Kalamassery. The decision has been taken to acquire 27 acres of land held by H.M.T. for the project. Law Minister P. Rajeeve said that Kalamassery is the most suitable location for the Judicial City, considering its accessibility to all sections of the population, ease of travel, and the geographical importance of the area.

The cabinet meeting gave the in-principle approval for the project in Kalamassery. The move is a continuation of the decisions taken as per the 2023 annual meeting of the Chief Minister and Chief Justice.

The Home Department has been tasked with taking the initial steps to implement the scheme. As part of this, Mr. Rajeeve and High Court judges Muhammad Mushtaq, Bechu Kurian Thomas, Raja Vijayaraghavan, and Satish Nainan had visited the land in Kalamassery. The details of the project were prepared after this visit.

The Public Works Department has prepared the preliminary design of the Judicial City, which will also include the Kerala High Court. Spread over 27 acres of land, the Judicial City is envisioned with international-level modern systems and facilities.

The Judicial City is being designed encompassing the core principles of the Constitution. It will have three towers, conceptualising Articles 14, 19, and 21, which guarantee the fundamental rights to equality, liberty, and life. The main tower will have 7 floors while the other two towers will have 6 floors each.

The Judicial City will have a range of facilities such as 61 court halls including the Chief Justice’s, Registrar’s Office, an auditorium, rooms for various committees, facilities for the administrative wing, library block, arbitration center, recruitment cell etc. The project has been estimated to cost over Rs 1,000 crore, including land acquisition and construction. The proposal for the new building came from the High Court as the existing High Court is facing space constraints.