The Kerala State Cabinet has given its approval for the establishment of a new Judicial City in Kalamassery, Ernakulam. Industries, Coir, and Law Minister P. Rajeev announced the Cabinet decision via his official Facebook page, expressing satisfaction with the approval. The building, estimated to cost over ₹ 1,000 crore, will be constructed on 27 acres of land currently owned by Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT).
The proposal addresses the space constraints faced by the existing Kerala High Court building in Kochi. The current facility is limited in its expansion possibilities due to land acquisition restrictions and environmental concerns related to the nearby Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, an ecologically sensitive area. A notification from the Central Environment Ministry regarding the environmentally sensitive zone also contributed to the decision to consider an alternative location for the new judicial infrastructure.
The decision follows recommendations stemming from the 2023 Chief Minister-Chief Justice annual meeting. A detailed site inspection was conducted by High Court judges, along with government officials, followed by deliberations. The Public Works Department (PWD) has prepared a preliminary design outline.
The proposed design will house 61 court halls, including the Chief Justice’s court, administrative facilities, library blocks, Advocate General’s office, chambers for lawyers, parking facilities, and a rainwater harvesting system. The complex has been conceptually designed around three towers representing fundamental constitutional principles enshrined in Articles 14, 19, and 21 – equality, liberty, and the right to life.
Commenting on the design, Minister Rajeev says, “The Judicial City is envisioned to have international-level modern systems and facilities, including more than 12 lakh square feet of building facilities, on 27 acres of land.”
[Translated from “27 ഏക്കർ ഭൂമിയിലായി 12 ലക്ഷത്തിലധികം ചതുരശ്ര അടി കെട്ടിട സൗകര്യമുൾപ്പെടെ രാജ്യാന്തര തലത്തിലുള്ള ആധുനിക സംവിധാനങ്ങളും സൗകര്യങ്ങളും ഉള്ള ജുഡീഷ്യല് സിറ്റിയാണ് വിഭാവനം ചെയ്യുന്നത്.”]
Despite the approval, the proposal has faced opposition from the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association (KHCAA), which has consistently opposed relocating the High Court from its current location in Kochi.
While the need for a new court building is undeniable, given the current facility’s space constraints and accessibility issues, the Kerala government’s design approval process mirrors troubling patterns seen elsewhere in India’s public architecture. The PWD’s design for the Kalamassery complex finds uncomfortable resonance with the recently criticised ₹3,750-crore Bombay High Court Complex winning design in Bandra.
Under the guise of wanting modern, “international”, and contemporary structures, the design by PWD is definitely in character with everything international and nothing Indian. The design, similar to the Bombay High Court design, lacks any reference to Kerala’s distinctive architecture, cultural aesthetics, or climate-responsiveness.
Ramu Katakam, in his article, criticised the Bombay HC winning design as “farcical and regressive“, instead of representing Indian architectural forms. Rajesh Advani’s column in the Indian Express further laments India’s public architecture trend of embracing imported materials and foreign design language, which is unsuitable for the local climate and other factors. This runs counter to the government’s calls for “swadeshi” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
Critically, unlike the Bombay project, which at least conducted a limited invited competition (though itself criticised for exclusivity), the PWD never announced any architectural competition for the Kerala High Court design. This absence of competitive process in itself shows a far more concerning regression in architectural procurement, where the design decisions are made behind closed doors within bureaucratic circles without external professional scrutiny.
As of now, the Home Department has been tasked with initiating preliminary steps for project implementation and exploring possibilities for securing central government assistance.
