In a significant development for the legal community in Kerala, Muraleedharan G Vallakkadavu and Girija K Gopal have been appointed as the Chairman and Vice-Chairperson of the Bar Council of Kerala (BCK), respectively. This election took place following the April 17 elections, where Vallakkadavu was among 23 advocates elected to the Council.
The Bar Council of Kerala, established under the Advocates Act, 1961, plays a pivotal role in regulating the enrollment and professional conduct of advocates within the state. The recent elections were conducted for 23 of the 25 seats available in the Council, spanning 84 polling centers across Kerala. Significantly, the elections adhered to a mandated 30 percent quota for women, as per interim directions issued by the Supreme Court of India.
The fairness of the election process was ensured by a high-powered election committee, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions in the case of M Vardhan v Union of India & Anr. The proceedings were overseen by Retired Justice VG Arun of the Kerala High Court, who served as the returning officer. The counting of votes concluded on May 13, and Justice Arun subsequently submitted the list of 23 elected members to the committee.
Besides Muraleedharan G Vallakkadavu, the elected members include Santhosh Kumar P, Nagaraj Narayanan, Manoj Kumar N, Pramod SK, Mohammed Shafi M, Mujeeb Rehuman A, Yeshwanth L, Nasseer KK, Sree Prakash P, Jayachandran KP, Jayadeep M, Jaya PM, Manoj S, Anil Kumar N, Anil S Raj, Jos Mechery, Sudarsanakumar S, Sajeev Babu P, Sheela Devi I, Geena Kumary T, Geetha Kumary VP, and Preethi Parambath.
Girija K Gopal’s inclusion in the council came through co-option, following a nomination by Kerala High Court Chief Justice Soumen Sen. This nomination was in line with the Supreme Court’s directives aimed at enhancing the representation of women in State Bar Councils.
Additionally, Advocate Jos Mechery has been appointed as the Treasurer, while Santhosh Kumar P will serve as the Council’s representative to the Bar Council of India. Meanwhile, elections for the statutory committee are still underway, promising further developments in the leadership structure of the Bar Council of Kerala.
