LEX INSIGHT

  The apartment ownership law of Kerala is now about 42 years old, yet it has hardly done wonders for home buyers in the State. It is a matter of record that, with the solitary exception of 'Gold Tower, Vazhakkala', scarcely any condominium has been effectively submitted to the provisions of this law. Born with a disability, the Act has been ailing ever since its birth. Despite serious attempts to kill it, the law has survived all such threats. Now, the Government has been forced to declare that this law cannot be prematurely killed. Here, we discuss the recent Government Order which declares that the Kerala Apartment Ownership Act, 1983 is not only alive but mandatory and liable to be enforced. The "Forced" Disability and the Missing Teeth The disability was not in the Act’s "genes"—it was not an inherent flaw in the concept of apartment ownership itself—but was rather forced upon it by its legal draftsmen. The Legislature, seemingly without necessary deli...

  For me, 2025 marked the "Year of the Journey." These trips were not solo; I was accompanied by my wife. I believe these travels are one of the little comforts the legal profession can offer a spouse, given the long vacations we have. Court vacations, being a hangover of the past, could soon be phased out as many remnants of the Raj are wiped away by successive governments. Therefore, let us enjoy the moment for the present. Our travels began with an extensive tour of England and the continent—spanning the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, and Germany, before circling back to London. The true highlight of this expedition was not just the destinations, but the method: every leg of the journey was planned and executed entirely by us, without the aid of agents. The year is concluding on a high note with two domestic trips in December. The first took us to Delhi for the launch of my book, The Unwritten Conundrum - Cracking An Implicit Code , released on the sidelines of the Socie...

  The dust has settled on the elections. The garlands have been exchanged, and the victory speeches delivered. I extend my heartiest congratulations to the newly elected committee of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association. But as the celebrations fade, a sobering reality must take its place. You are taking charge at a time when our profession stands at a crossroads. As a member of this Association, I do not just offer you my wishes; I offer you a checklist of expectations. However, I am not writing to demand better canteen menus or parking slots. My focus is deeper. I am writing to propose a roadmap for the professional development of our members. This is a mandate to move beyond annual promises and invest in the intellectual and practical growth of the Bar—empowering the practitioner of the present and securing the lawyer of the future. 1. From 'Academic' to 'Vocational': A New Education Calendar Historically, our Association has conducted various 'Continuing...

Long before the 11:00 AM judgment by the Principal Sessions Court, Ernakulam on December 8, 2025, my home was already divided. While awaiting the verdict in the 2017 Kerala actor abduction and assault case, there was absolute consensus on one fact: that the immediate perpetrators—Accused Nos. 1 to 7—deserved to be convicted. The conflict arose solely over the question of the conspiracy alleged to have been hatched by the prominent actor. The division in my home—and indeed, across the state—rested entirely on that invisible thread: the conspiracy. While the court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove this, resulting in the acquittal of Accused No. 8 and others, the story did not end there. The defining moment occurred when the actor stepped out of the court and alleged a counter-conspiracy: one he claimed was ignited by his former wife and activated by the police. This statement is the trigger for this article, as I wish to examine that profound accusation. Let us look at some stat...

  By: A Member of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association I am 58 years old and joined this noble profession in 1992. For over three decades, I have walked these corridors, and for the last 26 years, attending the Annual Day of our Association was a ritual I followed religiously. It was not just a function; it was a tradition of our professional family. To an outsider, these events might have seemed amateurish, but to us, they were everything. The heart and soul of the evening was often a drama staged by the advocates themselves. These performances were certainly not "market-standard" productions, but we applauded them until our hands hurt and laughed aloud like children. The true celebration was never about the perfection of the act, but the shared joy in its making. But this year, for the first time, I stayed home. My absence was a silent protest. It was a personal decision born out of deep discomfort with the manner in which the program was arranged, particularly ...