History

The District Headquarters of judiciary is set up at Kottayam town with the Principal District Court as it Administrative Centre. The justice delivery system consists of eight Munsiff’s Courts, ten Judicial 1st Class Magistrate Courts, three Sub Courts, one Chief Judicial Magistrate Court and five Additional District Courts. Beside these regular courts, three fast track special courts (PoCSO), two Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals, and one special court for Vigilance cases and two Family Courts also function in this district. The Additional District and Sessions Court-III, Kottayam is also the court of the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance). The MACT, Pala is also Additional District & Sessions Court.

Kottayam district was formed in July 1949. The district name literally means the interior of a fort (Kotta-Akam). The district is flanked by Western Ghats on the east and Vembanad lake and Alappuzha district on the west.

The district has a unique place in the history of Kerala. Kottayam is the first town in India to achieve full literacy in 1989. English education started at old seminary in 1813, the first printing press in Kerala, the CMS press was established by Rev. Benjamin Baily in1821 and the first college of Kerala – CMS college was started in 1840. The only co-operative society of literary workers for book publication – Sahitya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangam began in 1945 and the first printed Malayalam – English Dictionary was published in 1846. The first Keralite President of India – Sri K R Narayanan, hails from Kottayam.

Located in the south to Central Kerala, Kottayam is bounded by Ernakulam district in the north, Idukki district in the east, on the south by Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts. The district has as area of 2203 sq. km. The district is overlooking Vembanad lake on the western side Kottayam lies between latitude 9°15and10°21 and longitude 76°22 and 77°25. Kanjirapally and Meenachil taluk have laterite soil and Vaikom taluk, and various parts of Changanacherry and Kottayam taluk have alluvial soil. River Meenachil Manimala and Moovattupuzha are flowing through the district.

DISTRICT COURT KOTTAYAM

The District Court at Kottayam was established in 1912 (1087 M.E.) . The District Court presently located at the Kottayam Collectorate, as allotted by His Highness Maharaja Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma of Travancore.

Principal District and Session Court,five additional District Court,Sub Court,Munsiff Court, Cheif Judicial Magistrate Court ,Fast Track Special Court,Motor Accidental Claim Tribunal and five Judicial First Class Magistarte Courts are now functioning in District Court Complex

KANJIRAPPALLY

“Desa Charithram – Kanjirappally” written by Kallarackal Kuruvila Kunjuvarky, and published in the year 1949, reckons the sanctioning of a Class III Magistrate Court at Kanjirappally which started functioning at Ponkunnam in the year 1892 (1067 ME). Kovoor Iype was appointed as the first Magistrate. As per “Kanjirappally Charitharthiloode” written by M.N. Mohammed Kassim in the year 2008, at around 1845, the Kanjirappally area was under the jurisdiction of the Changanassery courts. The jurisdiction was then shifted to Cherthala, Kottayam, Ambalapuzha, Thiruvalla, and later again to Kottayam. It is further learned that in 1908, the Class III Magistrate Court at Kanjirappally was converted as a Munsiff-Magistrate Court with powers of a Class II Magistrate, wherein W.D. Netto, was appointed as the first Munsiff-Magistrate. The Magistrate Court was then shifted to Mundakayam and started as a camp court there in the year 1923. This was to suit the needs of the foreigners who were engaged in the plantation business in that area. However, the Munsiff’s court continued in the old site.

Three courts are now functioning in the Kanjirappally court complex: the Munsiff Court, Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I and udicial First Class Magistrate Court-II.

VAIKOM

The Court at Vaikom was established in 1811 by section 5 of the Satta Warriola promulgated by Her Highness Rani Gouri Lakshmi Bai of Travancore. The Court at Vaikom had jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases within the Ettumanoor and Kottayam regions of Travancore. The court at Vaikom has been functioning in a portion of a prominent Namboothiri house, ‘Indanthuruthil Mana’. Later the court building got vested with the government from the ‘Mana’ by the operation
of escheats law. In the record room of the Munsiff Court, records of cases aged more than 100 years can be found, with old documents written in palyera leaf in some old cases. The court still preserves the old rubber stamp seals with the impression ‘District Munsiff Court’ and the emblem of the Travancore Royal family ‘the Conch’.
Now Munsiff Court and Judicial First Class Court are funcioning in Court Complex Vaikom.

PALA

The Sub Court of Pala started functioning with effect from 19.02.1994. Sri P. Sankaranunni assumed charge as first Sub Judge.The Pala Court complex now has four functioning courts, including the Munsiff Court, Family Court, MACT, and JFCM.

CHANGANASSERY

Munsiff Court at Changanassery was established around 1890. During its inception, the Munsiff Court was originally under the jurisdiction of Munsiff Court, Thiruvalla. The Tahsil Magistrate Court of Changanassery was functioning even before the inception of the District Munsiff Court. Till 1951 November 1, the judicial and executive functions of the district were handled by a single officer, the Tahsil Magistrate. The last Tahsil Magistrate of Changanassery was the late Shri. N.P. Chellappan Nair
New Court Complex block inagurated on 2018. Judicial First Class Magistrate Court and Fast Track Special Court are functioning on new block and Munsiff Court working at old building.

ETTUMANOOR

Initially, there was a Class II Magistrate Court at Ettumanoor and in 1962, the Munsiff-Magistrate Court came into existence. Later on 02.04.1994, a separate Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court was established in Ettumanoor. At present, Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court –I have jurisdiction over Ettumanoor, Kidangoor, and Gandhinagar Police Stations and Ettumanoor & Kuravilangadu Excise Range Offices. As per the court records the most sensational criminal case tried before this court was about the theft of a golden idol from Sree Mahadeva Temple, Ettumanoor; the case number being CC 80/1981. The accused in that case, Stephen, was convicted for rigorous imprisonment for 3 years each for offense u/ss. 457 and 380 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The conviction was upheld by the Appellate Court.

Three courts are now functioning in the Ettumanoor court complex: the Family Court,Munsiff Court and Judicial First Class Magistrate Court

ERATTUPETTA

The first court at Erattupetta was Class II Judicial Magistrate Court, which started functioning in the year 1982. Then it was upgraded to Judicial First- Class Magistrate Court in the year 1991. The Munsiff Court, Erattupettastarted functioning on 5.12.1998 as Munsiff-Magistrate Court.
Munsiff’Court,Judicial First Class Magistrate Court and Fast Track Special Court are the currently functioning courts in the Court Complex Erattupetta.