Kerala High Court Collegium Proposes Five Judicial Officers for Judgeship
The Kerala High Court collegium has formally recommended the elevation of five distinguished judicial officers from the district judiciary to serve as judges of the High Court. This significant proposal includes two women officers, marking a step toward greater gender diversity in the higher judiciary.
Notable Names in the Recommendation List
The list forwarded to the Supreme Court collegium features prominent judicial figures with extensive experience. Among them is Honey M Varghese, the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Alappuzha, who presided over the high-profile 2017 actor abduction and rape case. In that sensational trial, the eighth accused, actor Dileep, was ultimately acquitted.
The other judicial officers recommended for elevation are:
- P S Sasi Kumar, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Thrissur
- K K Balakrishnan, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Ernakulam
- N Harikumar, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Pathanamthitta
- S Nazeera, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Thiruvananthapuram
The Supreme Court collegium will now review and consider these recommendations as part of the judicial appointment process.
Pending Recommendations and Current Judicial Strength
Meanwhile, another recommendation made by the Kerala High Court collegium in April 2025 remains pending before the Supreme Court collegium. That earlier proposal exclusively comprised women advocates, including Liz Mathew, a senior advocate practicing in the Supreme Court, and A K Preetha, a lawyer practicing in the Kerala High Court.
Currently, the Kerala High Court operates with 38 judges, consisting of 33 permanent judges and five additional judges. This is against a sanctioned strength of 35 permanent judges and 12 additional judges, indicating a notable shortfall. The situation is expected to become more acute with the impending retirements of two judges: Justice K Babu on May 7 and Justice M B Snehalatha on May 30. These departures will reduce the number of permanent judges to 31, further widening the gap between actual and sanctioned strength.
The recommendations aim to address this deficit and ensure the smooth functioning of the judiciary by bringing experienced judicial officers into the High Court bench.
