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Law Department Officials & Offices

Shri. A. K. Balan Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, Law, Culture and Parliamentary Affairs	OFFICE Room No: 118 1st Floor North Block Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram Mob: 9447962200 Tel: 0471-2333772/ 2333849 Fax: Tel: 0471-2332239
Law Department	Near Dharbar Hall Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram
Shri. B.G. Harindranath Secretary	Tel: 0471-2332955, 2518383 Mob: 9447006066 Fax: 0471-2332955, 2333497 E-mail: secy.law@kerala.gov.in www.keralalawsect.org
Office of the Advocate General	Office of the Advocate General, Kerala Ernakulam EPABX: 0484- 2395052, 2395078, 2393844 FAX: 0484- 2394674 E-mail: ago-ekm2006@rediffmail.com advocategeneralkerala@gmail.com
Sri. C. P. Sudhakara Prasad Advocate General	Office- New High Court Complex Tel: 0484- 2564300, 2394505 Fax: 0484- 2396399
Website:	www.keralalawsect.orgExternal link which opens in a new window

About Law Department

The Law Department is a distinct and independent unit within the Government Secretariat. This Department is housed in the Main Block of the Secretariat building, which is at the southern side of the Durbar Hall. The business of the Law Department is transacted by the Law Secretary assisted by other officials of the Department.

This Department consists of 34 sections.

The business of the Law Department consists of:-

1. Administration of the Law Department, Administration of Advocate General's Office, Administration of Kerala Official Language (Legislative) Commission, Administration of Kerala State Human Rights Commission, Administration of Personal Laws, Administration of IPR and allied matters, Administration of Court Fees and Suit Valuation Act, Administration of Kerala Advocates' Welfare Fund Act, Administration of Kerala Advocates' Clerks Welfare Fund Act, Administration of Kerala Legal Benefit Fund.

2. Legislative Drafting and Unification of Laws.

3. Legal Advice to other Departments in the Secretariat

4. Publication of State and Central Legislation.

5. Conveyancing

6. Appointment of Notaries and Government Law Officers.

7. Translation of Legislation.

The Law Department has its own Library which is a reference Library for all Officers of this Department and is under the exclusive control of the Law Secretary. The Law Department is generally guided by the procedure laid down in the Secretariat Office Manual and the Law Department Manual. Since the Law Department is a separate unit within the Secretariat, matters relating to the establishment, staff, budget, contingencies, furniture, stationery and all other administrative matters of the Department are attended to in the Department itself.

VISION

To strengthen and maintain the standard and quality of the legal system in the State.

MISSION

To deliver legal services of highest standards for the effective implementation of the legislative and executive functions of the State in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution of India, effectively, efficiently and expeditiously.

OBJECTIVES

• To tender legal advice to Government.

• To examine legislative proposals and to do legislative drafting and to assist the legislature till enactment.

• To carry out legal scrutiny of subordinate legislations.

• To carry out legal scrutiny of instruments such as deeds, agreements to be executed for and on behalf of Government.

• To carry out legal scrutiny of pleadings in government cases.

• To monitor the conduct of government cases.

• To translate the State Acts, Ordinances and Bills to English or Malayalam and also to Tamil and Kannada and scrutiny of translated versions of subordinate legislations.

• To translate and publish authoritative texts of Constitution of India and Central Acts in Malayalam through the Official Language (Legislative) Commission.

• To implement State Litigation Policy.

• To implement Intellectual Property Rights Policy.

• To publish annual volumes of the Acts and the Ordinances.

• To prepare and publish Annual List of Enactments applicable in Kerala.

• To maintain and update folders of Central and State Enactments.

• To prepare Kerala Code of State enactments and the periodical revision thereof.

• To maintain consolidated volume of Statutory Rules and Orders.

• To publish Malayalam journal containing the translation of judgments

• To maintain and update the website and enable an e-governance platform for the activities of the Department.

• To develop and maintain a highly motivated, dynamic, professionally excellent, well-trained and committed workforce.

• to appoint and administer Notaries so as to facilitate notarisation in the State.

• to appoint and administer Government Law Officers for the effective conduct of government cases .

• To effectively administer the Acts/Rules under the purview of this Department, viz., the Notaries Act, 1952, the Advocates' Welfare Fund Act, 1980, the Advocate Clerks' Welfare Fund Act, 2003, the Kerala Court Fees and Suit Valuation Act,1960, the Kerala Stamp Act,1959,the Administrators General Act,1963,the Official Trustees Act,1913 ,the Kerala Government Law Officers' Rules,1978, and the Personal Laws.

• To effectively administer statutory bodies such as Kerala State Human Rights Commission, Kerala State Legal Services Authority, and Official Language (Legislative) Commission as well as the Department itself.

• To undertake law reforms.

Details of services available in Law Department under various
Statutes/Rules/Manuals/Executive orders

Central Acts/ Executive Orders	Administered/ Dealt with	Services available	Procedure/contact person for procuring services
1. The Notaries Act, 1952	Law (H) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518380	Appointment of Notaries and matters connected therewith.	Filing of application in the prescribed format before the competent Authority. Model form available in the website of Law Dept.www.keralalawsect.org
2.The Personal Laws	Law (E) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518619	Appointment of Marriage Registrars under the Cochin Christian Civil Marriage Act, 1095. Secretariat Departments can obtain legal opinion on personal laws as inter-departmental references.	The Sub Registrars who are Christians are appointed as Marriage Registrar for Thrissur District, Palakkad District (expect the estwhile Malabar area) Ernakulam District (except the erstwhile Travancore area and Malabar area.)
3. The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987	Law (H) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518380	Administration of Kerala State Legal Services Authority	The needy poor can approach KELSA for free legal aid visit: www.kelsa.nic.in Email- kelsakerala@gmail.com
4. The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.	Law(H) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518380	Administration of Kerla State Human Rights Commission	Human Rights violation are taken up before KSHRC. www.kshrc.kerala.gov.in
5. The Administrators General Act, 1963	Law (Inspection)Dept Ph.No.0471-2518863	Administration of Estates	Sri. A.V .James, Advocate Aramangalath House, Koonammavu.P.O., Ernakulam
6.The Official Trustees Act, 1913	Law (Inspection) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518863	Administration of Trusts.	Sri. A.V .James, Advocate Aramangalath House, Koonammavu.P.O., Ernakulam
7. Authoritative Texts (Central Laws) Act, 1973 and G.O.(Ms) No.42/68/Law,dated 14-06- 1968	Law (Admn) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518043	Translating central Acts into Malayalam	Copies of authoritative Malayalam translation of Central Acts available for sale. Contact: The sales wing of the OL(L)C, Pattoor Pettah P.O., Tvpm. Phone:0471-2743131, 2743657.

Sl. No.	STATE ACTS	Administered/ Dealt with	Services Available	Procedure/ contact person for procuring services
1.	The Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1960	Law (KLBF) Dept	Under Section 76 of the Act, Kerala Legal Benefit Fund established.	The Secretary/Convenor of the Kerala Legal Benefit Fund Trustee Committee is the Law Secretary to Government of Kerala. 70% of the Fund constituted under the Act shall be transferred to Kerala Advocates Welfare Fund and 30% of the Fund to the Kerala Advocate Clerks Welfare Fund after retaining an amount equal to 10% each from the amount so set apart to the Funds stated above in the Kerala Legal Benefit Fund for providing infrastructure to litigants.
2.	The Kerala Advocates' Welfare Fund Act,1980	Law (KLBF) Department	Kerala Advocates' Welfare Fund Constituted	Welfare to the Advocates in our state. Contact: The Secretary, Office of the Kerala Advocates' Welfare Fund Trustee Committee, Kochi.
3.	The Kerala Advocates Clerks Welfare Fund Act,2003.	Law (KLBF) Department	Kerala Advocates' Clerks'Welfare Fund Constituted.	Welfare of the Advocates' Clerks in our State. Contact: The Secretary, Office of the Kerala Advocates Clerks' Welfare Fund Committee. T.C. 65/502(1), Oottukuzhi, Thiruvananthapura

Sl.No.	STATE RULES	Administered/ Dealt with	Service Available	Procedure/contact person for procuring service
1.	The Kerala Secretariat Law Department Library General Rules	Law (Library) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518392	Reference of latest and rare law books/ periodicals to the Officers of Law Department.	Law Library is attached to Law Dept. Contact: The Librarian. Law Department Library. Phone 2518392
2.	Kerala Government Law Officers Rules, 1978	Law (Inspection) Dept Ph.No.0471-2518863	Appointment of Govt. Law Officers in the State	Names and address of all Govt. Law officers available in the websitewww.keralalawsect.org
3.	Law Department Manual	Law (Publication) Department Ph.No.0471-2518410	Yearly Publication of Acts & Ordinances	Copies are available in the Law (Publication) Department for reference.
4.	Law Department Manual	Law (Legislation) Department	Translation of State Acts into Malayalam	Law Legislation A to I Sections
5.	Law Department Manual	Law (Tamil Translation) Department	Translation of State Acts, Ordinances, Legislative Assembly Interpellations and other Miscellaneous Government work into Tamil.	The Tamil Translation needs of other Departments of Secretariat are also undertaken Contact:Senior Tamil Translator Phone: 2517327
6.	Law Department Manual	Law (Kannada Translation) Department	Translation of State Acts into Kannada	The Kannada Translation needs of the Secretariat Departments are also undertaken. Contact: Senior Kannada Translator Phone:2518793

The Work distribution of Law Department

The Officers of Law Department

RTI- The State Public Information Officers of Law Department & Appellate Authority

For more details visit:-www.keralalawsect.org

Related Websites

Kerala State Human Rights Commission	www.kshrc.kerala.gov.in
Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA)	www.kelsa.nic.in