Kerala High Court Issues Notice in Plea Challenging Kerala University Standing Counsel Appointment

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has issued notices to the Vice-Chancellor and other respondents in a petition challenging the appointment of a Standing Counsel at Kerala University.

The petition was filed by Syndicate member T R Manoj against the appointment of advocate Girija Gopal as Standing Counsel. According to the petition, the appointment replaced the existing counsel, Thomas Abraham, and was carried out by bypassing the Syndicate.

The petitioner argued that, under university rules, the authority to appoint legal counsel rests with the Syndicate and not with the Vice-Chancellor acting unilaterally. The plea seeks cancellation of the appointment on the grounds that it was made in violation of established procedures.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas considered the matter and posted the case for further hearing on the 13th of this month.

The appointment of advocate Girija Gopal — who has also served as Railway Standing Counsel — reflects a political understanding between Sangh Parivar-aligned interests and the Congress.

Girija Gopal had earlier appeared before the Kerala High Court on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor in litigation connected to the suspension of a registrar at University of Kerala. The suspension had reportedly followed directions to remove a photograph displayed in the university senate hall at an event attended by the Governor. The Syndicate’s decision to revoke the suspension had also become the subject of legal proceedings, and the Vice-Chancellor also faced a setback in the court.

The standing counsels in three universities had earlier been replaced and that appointments included individuals linked to senior High Court advocate George Poonthottam — a close confidant of CM V D Satheesan. Those appointments had earlier drawn controversy.

After the UDF government assumed office, the Higher Education Department sought details regarding university legal counsels from registrars, and this was followed by politically influenced appointments for.