Lawyers of Kerala High Court Boycott Justice A. Badharudeen’s Court Over Alleged Remarks
Kiran Raj
Lawyers practicing before the Kerala High Court gathered today, demanding an apology from Justice A. Badharudeen over his alleged remarks towards Advocate Saritha Thomas, the wife of deceased lawyer Alex M Scaria. The lawyers sought an apology in open court; however, Justice Badharudeen did not attend court, and a notice was later issued stating that he would not be holding court during the forenoon session.
The incident in question took place on March 6, when Advocate Saritha Thomas requested additional time to change the vakalath in a case citing the passing of her husband in January 07, 2025. According to a resolution moved by a group of lawyers led by Senior Advocate George Poonthottam, Justice Badharudeen reacted to her request in an uncharitable manner. The resolution further recorded that the judge asked, “Who is Alex Scaria?” when she sought time for vakalath change. The lawyers asserted that such a remark was inappropriate and demanded an apology from the judge.
Following the resolution, the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) convened an urgent general body meeting at 10 AM today in which lawyers decided to gather in Justice Badharudeen’s courtroom to seek an apology. When no apology was forthcoming, the lawyers resolved to boycott his court proceedings.
Reports indicate that Justice Badharudeen had expressed willingness to apologise in his chambers, but this was rejected by the lawyers, including KHCAA President Yeshwanth Shenoy, who maintained that the apology should be made in open court. Subsequently, the matter was placed before Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar, who heard the grievances of the lawyers and stated that he would speak to Justice Badharudeen over the weekend in an attempt to address the concerns raised.
This is not the first time that concerns regarding Justice Badharudeen’s conduct in court have been raised. In February last year, both the KHCAA and the Bar Council of Kerala wrote to the Chief Justice, stating that the judge’s interactions with the Bar were humiliating and insensitive. The letter referred to an incident involving Advocate Jayakumar Namboodiri TV, who was reportedly denied an adjournment despite suffering from a serious back injury. The KHCAA had also recommended the implementation of mandatory video recording of all court proceedings to ensure transparency in judicial interactions.
