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The Mansion of Harry Potter: Lessons in Law from the High Court’s ‘Vacation Mode’

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  The judicial and academic calendars clash every year. April and May mark the mid-summer vacation, during which the High Court and the civil courts across the state transition into "vacation mode." Under the High Court Act, vacation sittings are typically limited to two days a week, with only a few benches convened to hear extremely urgent matters. This period corresponds exactly with academic vacations, when regular classes at law universities and colleges are suspended. While students are required to complete their mandatory internships during this break, this "Big Bang" collision of schedules puts those choosing the High Court of Kerala at a significant disadvantage. By the time students begin their month-long break, the courts have already moved into the standby mode mentioned above, depriving them of the full experience of a functioning court. This year, the victims of this calendar confusion were three young interns from the MCT College of Legal Studies, Mel...
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Master of an Unwritten Curriculum: The Uthama Kurup Lessons

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  The Missing Rung: A Three-Decade War for ₹500 How important is a client in the life of a lawyer? The obvious answer is "very." However, certain clients represent more than just our "bread and butter." They are the catalysts who can completely reshape a professional profile, teaching us lessons never found in a standard practice curriculum. Without further preamble, let me introduce Mr. Uthama Kurup. A retired officer of the Indian Navy, he arrived not just as an individual, but as the apparent leader of a group of technical supervisors from a naval department. Mr. Kurup has spent decades fighting to rectify a pay fixation anomaly affecting technical supervisory staff in the naval dockyards and ship repair yards. The official battle began in 2003; it has now reached its twenty-third year. While Mr. Kurup has secured several tactical victories in court, the "war" itself remains won. I joined this campaign in 2013, and the ensuing thirteen-year journey has ...
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The Botheration Principle: A Law Practice Odyssey

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  DEDICATION This article is respectfully dedicated to the Litigation Governance Team . As the Course Director of the Litigation Governance Course 2026 , held in collaboration with the Project Complete Lawyer Foundation and the Legal Aid Centre of NUALS , Kochi I offer these reflections to our participants. May this serve as a bridge between the tradition of the Bar and the innovations of the future. To the students and faculty: may your journey from the classroom to the courtroom be one of purposive growth, professional dignity, and enduring excellence. Our law firm recently welcomed several interns and a fresh graduate recently enrolled, Mr. Sanketh Sajan. Interacting with them is always an experience—it feels as though I have time-traveled across more than three decades. While trying to walk in Sanketh’s shoes, I realized that the world has changed irreversibly. It has been a massive journey: from the Brother typewriter to the electronic version; from massive desktop screens t...
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Harmonizing Apartment Ownership in Kerala: High Court Pushes for Strict Compliance with RERA and State Laws

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The legal landscape for apartment ownership in Kerala is undergoing a significant transformation as the High Court of Kerala intensifies its oversight of the implementation of the Kerala Apartment Ownership Act (KAOA), 1983, in conjunction with the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), 2016. Recent judicial directions have set the stage for a more transparent and accountable real estate sector in the state. Judicial Oversight and the Call for Accountability In a pivotal order dated February 4, 2026, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M., directed the Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA) to file a formal affidavit. This affidavit must detail the concrete steps taken by the authority to implement the government’s mandates regarding the Kerala Apartment Ownership Act, 1983. The court's demand for a "formal affidavit" within a fortnight underscores its commitment to ensuring that administ...
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