Kerala’s Tribunal for Local Self Government May Use Conditional Remands in Building Demolition Appeals

Posted inLocal Government LawsNo Comments
When a local government receives a complaint or finds that a building owner has erected an unauthorised building in violation of the building permit and building rules, it often invokes its demolition power under Section 406 of the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 — but does so in haste, without following the prescribed procedure such as mandatory provisional notice, personal hearing, and drafting it ignoring the basic principles of natural justice.

Local Self Government Tribunal Must Issue Speaking Orders in Demolition Appeals: Kerala High Court

Posted inLocal Government LawsNo Comments
The Kerala High Court, in Renjini K.K. v. Mannancherry Grama Panchayat & Ors. [2026:KER:33874], has reiterated that quasi-judicial tribunals cannot dispose of appeals through cryptic conclusions devoid of reasoning, holding that every adjudicatory authority must record clear reasons reflecting application of mind.

Anticipatory Bail: Its Legalities and Key Judgments

Posted inBail & Related mattersNo Comments
Anticipatory bail protects a person's personal liberty even before they are arrested. It is a shield against arrest that a court can grant in advance, so that a person is not thrown into jail just because someone has filed a case against them — especially when the case looks false, malicious, or politically motivated. This right flows from Article 21 of the Constitution, which protects every person's right to life and personal liberty.

Directions of Supreme Court in Demolition of Illegal Structures

Posted inLocal Government LawsNo Comments
In order to check the rise of arbitrary demolition of building structures, the Supreme Court, in In Re: Directions in the matter of Demolition of Structures v. and Ors [2024 INSC 86], issued comprehensive, nationwide directives governing the demolition of properties. The ruling reinforces the rule of law, ensuring that punitive demolitions cannot be done bye passing constitutional safeguards.

Conversion of a Probate Petition into a Civil Suit Does Not Alter Its Purpose

Posted inWill & Related MattersNo Comments
Even when a probate petition is converted into a civil suit under Section 295 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, the scope of enquiry continues to remain confined to that of a probate court and does not assume the character of a regular civil suit, under the Code of Civil Procedure, observed Kerala High Court in P. Lakshmikutty Amma & Ors. v. V.K. Indira & Anr.

Condonation of Delay in Appeals: Principles to be Followed by Courts

Posted inLimitation Act and Condonation of DelayNo Comments
To ensure substantial justice, Section 5 of the Limitation Act serves as an equitable exception. It empowers a court to admit an appeal or application (except execution proceedings under Order XXI of the CPC) after the limitation period has expired, provided the appellant satisfies the court that they had "sufficient cause" for the delay.

Lapse of a Bequest under a Will and Its Exception for a Predeceased Child or Lineal Descendant

Posted inWill & Related MattersNo Comments
A bequest under a Will is, in essence, a gift that is intended to take effect only if the legatee is alive to receive it. As a rule of testamentary construction, if the person named to receive a legacy does not survive the testator, the gift cannot take effect in his favour but it would normally "lapse". This is provided as the general rule in Section 105 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 ("the Act"), which applies to all testators other than Muslims.

Court Fee For a Probate Petition in Kerala : Kerala High Court Clarifies

Posted inWill & Related MattersNo Comments
In K.G. Sunil Krishnan v. K.G. Premsankar (2022), the High Court of Kerala clarified the difference in the payment of court fee for a probate petition in Kerala. The court held that whenever an application for probate or letters of administration is filed, it must be accompanied by a valuation statement of the estate in the form set out in Part I of Schedule III of the of the Kerala Court-Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1959, with the court fee paid under Article 6 of Schedule I.