Disposed of 50,000 cases in six years: A milestone for Justice P V Kunhikrishnan

KOCHI: "Satyameva Jayate" is the motto of the judiciary. The Constitution of India is its guiding text. Justice P V Kunhikrishnan has firmly followed these principles in his judicial journey. He will complete six years as a judge of the Kerala High Court on Friday. He has already created a record by disposing of 50,000 cases during this period.

Earlier, former Acting Chief Justice A Muhammed Mustaque had achieved the rare milestone of disposing of 50,000 cases in his tenth year of service. Justice Kunhikrishnan has ranked first in case disposal for the past two years. He delivered judgments in 11,140 cases in 2024 and 15,026 cases in 2025. Public interest, respect for democracy and compassion are considered the hallmarks of his judgments. At the same time, he has shown firmness when necessary. He has even gone beyond usual procedures to support the helpless when required.

It was his bench that passed an order helping an elderly man who had been visiting government offices to cut down trees that posed a threat to his house. He granted parole to a man accused in a murder case so he could attend his daughter’s enrolment as a lawyer. In another case, he strongly criticised a son who appealed against a small maintenance amount granted to his 100-year-old mother, saying such a person could not be called humane. He also ruled that Muslim personal law does not permit another marriage if a man cannot financially support all his wives.

Seating for voters
Justice Kunhikrishnan ordered that seating and drinking water facilities should be provided for voters at polling booths. In another case, he urged the people of Kannur to prove through elections that their district is not a breeding ground for political violence. In the case of Vaishnava from Thiruvananthapuram, whose candidature was affected after her name was removed from the voter list, he made the notable remark, “You are not saying she is not an Indian citizen, are you?” In a case filed by film director V.M. Vinu related to contesting elections, he asked, “Why has your name not yet been added to the list? Don’t celebrities read newspapers?”

Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan, a native of Payyannur in Kannur district, was appointed as a judge of the Kerala High Court on February 13, 2020. After completing his law studies at Kerala Law Academy, he practised as a lawyer for many years before becoming a judge.