Court Orders State Government to Address Supreme Court Directives and Correctional Facility Overcrowding
In a significant move, the Kerala High Court has issued directives to the State Government for the immediate constitution of a State Level Monitoring Committee, following a delay in compliance with the Supreme Court's instructions. The case, Suo Motu v. State of Kerala, was addressed by a bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. on June 29, 2026.
The court took suo motu cognizance of the State's failure to establish the committee, which had been mandated by the Supreme Court in a previous order dated February 26, 2026. The delay has resulted in the withdrawal of consent by Hon'ble Mr. Justice R. Narayana Pisharadi (Retd.), who had been nominated as the committee's Chairperson by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA).
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, the High Court directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department in the Government Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram, to constitute the committee within a fortnight. The court also made a special request to Justice Pisharadi to reconsider his withdrawal of consent, expressing hope that the committee would be constituted within the specified timeframe.
Additionally, the Kerala High Court addressed concerns regarding overcrowding in correctional facilities across the state. The court instructed the State Government to file a response to a report submitted by KeLSA on this issue, underscoring the need for immediate attention to improve conditions in these facilities.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for July 13, 2026, to review the compliance with its orders and the progress made on both fronts.
Bottom line:-
Delay in constituting the State Level Monitoring Committee as directed by the Supreme Court led to the Kerala High Court issuing directives to the State Government for immediate compliance and reconsideration of the Chairperson's withdrawal of consent.
Statutory provision(s): None explicitly mentioned in the judgment.
Suo Motu v. State of Kerala, (Kerala)(DB) : Law Finder Doc id # 2932464
