KOCHI: Ernakulam district, where the largest number of family dispute cases are being filed in the state every year, including several celebrity divorce cases, will soon get two more family courts. The home department has approved a request by the Registrar (Subordinate Judiciary), High Court of Kerala, to start seven more family courts in the state including two in Ernakulam district.
As per the order brought out last week, the department has approved starting a new family court each at Aluva and North Paravoor. Currently, there are two family courts in the district — in Kochi and Muvattupuzha. “Annually, the highest number of family-related cases are filed at the family court in Kochi. On average, 2,500-3,000 divorce petitions or petitions over the custody of children are being filed at Kochi family court alone a year and 1,000-1,500 petitions at Muvattupuzha court. There is also a high backlog of cases, especially since sittings could not be held for several weeks following lockdown,” an official at the Ernakulam District Court said.
With new family courts at Aluva and North Paravoor, the case pendency at Kochi family court is expected to come down. The other new family courts will be set up at Neyyattinkara, Kunnamkulam, Adoor, Punalur and Paravur in Kollam.
“The government has asked the authorities concerned to sanction the staff required for the operations of the new courts. Currently, there are 28 family courts in Kerala. After Ernakulam, the highest number of divorce-related petitions are filed in Thiruvananthapuram. Currently, there are three family courts in Thiruvananthapuram district,” an official said. Earlier this year, a division bench of the High Court had directed judges at the family court to focus on speedy disposal of cases. It is revealed that over one lakh cases are pending at 28 family courts in the state.