Circular revising transfer criteria issued; transfer of judicial officers based on three regions

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The High Court has decided to divide the state into three regions and implement the transfer of judicial officers. Those who are transferred after completing three years in one region can return to that region only after six years. This is because it takes six years to complete the service in the other two regions.

The High Court Registrar has issued a circular revising the transfer criteria including this. The new criteria is for the posting of Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Civil Judge (Junior Division). The designations of judges were amended from Municif & Magistrate to Civil Judge (Junior Division) and Sub Judge & Chief Judicial Magistrate to Civil Judge (Senior Division).

No posting will be given to the place where one has practised as a lawyer, place of birth and where they own land. If the husband and wife are judicial officers, they will be posted at the same place regardless of seniority. If they have children studying in classes 9 and 11, they will be given special permission to stay there even after completion of three years. The provision does not apply to those working on deputation to the High Court and Kerala State Legal Services Authority. Family court judges may serve five years in one location.

Principal District and Sessions Judges can be posted anywhere by the High Court. However, they will not be posted in the same district where they have worked for nine years. It is also proposed to transfer the judicial officers who are acting in a way that is not compatible with the judicial system, before the fixed term.

Three regions

The southern region consists of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts. The central region is the judicial headquarters of Kottayam, Thodupuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad. Mancheri, Kozhikode, Kalpatta, Thalassery and Kasaragod judicial headquarters will be in the northern region.

Relaxation for physically challenged

People with more than 40 percent physical disabilities will not be transferred to places that require more travel. Seniority is not applicable in their transfer. Applications for transfer of officers who have not completed three years will not be entertained except in special circumstances.