Kochi: The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for the construction of a new High Court complex and Judicial City in Kalamassery, a suburb of Ernakulam, marking a significant stride in modernising the state’s judicial infrastructure.

The government intends to acquire 27 acres of land owned by HMT for the project, which is estimated to cost more than ₹1,000 crore. Kerala Minister for Industries, Coir, and Law, P. Rajeev, made the announcement through his official Facebook page.

According to officials, the Public Works Department (PWD) has drawn up a preliminary design for the Judicial City. It will comprise three multi-storeyed towers spread across 12 lakh square feet. The complex will house 61 court halls, the registrar’s office, an auditorium, administrative and library blocks, an arbitration centre, a recruitment cell, an information centre, and the Advocate General’s office. Chambers for advocates are also part of the plan.

Plans also include parking facilities and rainwater harvesting systems. The Cabinet decision comes following deliberations at the annual Chief Minister–Chief Justice meeting held in 2023.

Earlier, a team led by then Kerala High Court Chief Justice A.J. Desai, with Justices Mohammed Mushtaq, Bechu Kurian Thomas, Raja Vijayaraghavan, and Satheesh Ninan, inspected the HMT site in Kalamassery. The location was chosen for its accessibility and infrastructure connectivity.

Kalamassery is well connected through national highways, the Seaport-Airport Road, and the Kochi Metro Rail. It is also the constituency of Minister Rajeev.

The move comes after longstanding concerns about the present High Court building in central Kochi, which faces severe waterlogging, limited parking, and proximity to the ecologically sensitive Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary.

However, the proposal has drawn strong opposition from the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA), which has repeatedly voiced concerns over relocating the High Court away from Kochi city.

The Home Department has been directed to initiate the implementation of the project, which is expected to redefine judicial infrastructure in Kerala while addressing the space and environmental challenges of the existing High Court building.

IANS