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Report No. 14

48. Kerala

1. The State of Kerala was brought into existence by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. It comprises what was previously the State of Travancore-Cochin less some areas transferred to the Madras State, the Malabar District of Madras, excluding the Laccadive and Minicoy islands and the Kasargod Taluq of the South Kanara District.

2. Territory and population.-

According to the census of 1951, the population of the enlarged State is 1,35,49,118 spread over an area of 15,035 square miles. This State ranks first in the country in respect of the density of population and literacy-the former being roughly 950 persons per square mile and the latter 40.88 per cent. of the population. We have been told that the people of this State are economically backward. As will be seen later, this is reflected by the fact that a large number of suits-roughly 87 per cent.-out of the total number that come up for adjudication before the regular civil courts are valued below Rs. 1,000.

3. The High Court strength.-

Since the last four years, that is, from 1954, the High Court has been functioning with eight judges but for a fall in the number once or twice for short periods due to retirement of judges and the like.

Table No. 1

Appellate Side

1954			1955			1956
Nature of Proceeding	Pending at the beginning	Institutions	Disposal	Pending at the beginning	Institutions	Disposal	Pending at the beginning	Institutions	Received from Madras	Transferred to Madras	Disposal	Pending on 1st Jan, 1957
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Regular First Appeals	1868	745	1142	1471	795	1180	1086	769	304	172	764	1223
Regular Second Appeals	2497	1111	1765	1843	1165	1507	1501	1254	559	204	1147	1963
Appeals against Orders	143	258	284	117	274	251	140	223	73	12	249	175
Letters Patent or Special Appeals	..	...	..	.	..	.	..	..	29	..	..	29
Writs	142	219	261	100	460	259	301	573	106	13	432	535
Review	32	40	34	38	74	63	49	60	..	..	57	52
Revision	285	600	680	205	709	703	211	749	245	22	657	526
Reference	18	25	16	27	26	16	37	11	7	5	8	4
Love to appeal to Supreme Court	18	32	43	7	63	64	6	79	..	..	60	25
Original Suits	3	4	4	3	..	3	..	..	..	..	..	..
Miscellaneous	2329	3713	4077	1965	4101	4681	1385	3629	96	142	3587	1381

Table No. 2

Nature of Proceedings	Year of Institution
	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956
Regular first Appeals	1	..	..	..	1	1	1	7	3	42	84	172	333	578
Regular Second Appeals	..	1	..	..	5	6	5	1	6	21	16	248	608	1046
Appeals against Orders	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	2	8	48	116
Letters Patent or Special Appeals	..	...	..	.	..	.	..	..	..	1	3	18	4	3
Writs	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	3	8	10	79	434
Revision	..	1	..	..	..	.	.	.	2	1	3	27	74	418
Review	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	1	...	1	12	37
Reference	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	9	22	11
Original Suits	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..		..	..	..	..
Micellaneous	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	27	1354

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