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High Court of Kerala Name Unchanged Without Parliament Act
Kerala officially becomes “Keralam,” but the High Court continues to be called the “High Court of Kerala” unless Parliament approves a separate name change. The State government updates “Kerala” to “Keralam” in its own institutions, while the High Court’s name change requires a specific Parliamentary amendment process.
High Court of Kerala:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Reason for no automatic change | The judiciary is not part of the State government and has an independent footing as one of the three pillars of democracy. |
| Procedure for High Court name change | The name change of the High Court can be made only through a High Court Name Amendment Act to be passed by Parliament. |
| Unpassed High Court renaming bills | In 2016, proposals to rename the High Courts of Madras and Bombay lapse as the amendment bills introduced in Parliament are never passed. |
| High Court names and State name changes | The names of some High Courts retain their historical names despite changes in the names of their respective States. |
| Pre-1949 judicial jurisdictions | Pre-1949, Travancore has a High Court at Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin has a High Court at Ernakulam, and Malabar District falls under the jurisdiction of the Madras High Court. |
| Formation of Travancore-Cochin High Court | On 1 July 1949, Travancore and Cochin merge to form the High Court of Travancore-Cochin, seated at Ernakulam. |
| States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and Kerala High Court | On 1 November 1956, the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 creates the State of Kerala by merging Travancore-Cochin with Malabar District, and the Kerala High Court is established at Ernakulam. |