Kerala HC issued notice to State Government over Lokayukta ordinance 

The Kerala High Court has issued a notice to the State Government to respond to a petition contesting the Lokayukta Act’s Section 14 revision. On February 7, the Kerala Governor accepted the modification ordinance initially tabled in the cabinet. 

Based on a petition filed by a social worker, the court issued a notice to the State Government, declaring that the amendment placing the power of appeal on the executive is unlawful and in violation of Article 254 of the Constitution.

Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly issued notice to the state over Lokayukta ordinance. Kerala Governor accepted the modification ordinance initially tabled in the cabinet. 

Any decision made by an authority created by the new ordinance during the pendency of the plea will be subject to the eventual outcome of the instant write petition by social worker R S Sasikumar, represented by senior attorney George Poonthottam.

They asked for its response to the petition, which claimed that the executive was “encroaching” into the domain of the judiciary and quasi-judicial bodies by passing the ordinance, in violation of the doctrine of separation of powers emphasized in the Indian Constitution.

The court set a new hearing date for March 7 due to the interim order.