Kerala HC to go green, austere

 
A statement from the court registrar said the chief justice had decided to constitute a Green Bench to deal exclusively with cases relating to forests, conservation of trees and other cases pertaining to issues of biodiversity.  The bench would hold its sitting for this purpose every Friday beginning December 4.

As part of austerity measures, the chief justice and the judges have also decided to dispense with the practice of carrying silver maces from Sunday itself. One silver mace costs Rs 34,000 and this decision will  help reduce the huge expenditure on the state exchequer.

It was also decided that the court would hold regular sittings on all Saturdays except Second Saturday to hear old cases only. Apart from vacation courts / sittings, the judges also decided to hold special sittings during summer vacation on the dates suggested by both parties and their advocates for hearing old cases ripe for final disposal. The measures were initiated in connection with the 54th birthday of the state and the HC which fell on November 1.