Kerala HC gives time to comment on anti-riots amendment bill

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to take necessary steps to finalize the Kerala Prohibition Bill, 2025.

A division bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice C Jayachandran asked the government pleader to peruse the orders passed so far in the matter, noting that the Bill had reached this stage after considerable effort.

The state sought more time to consider the details of the amendment because of the change in government after the assembly elections.

The court had previously noted that there was “no bar to the Cabinet meeting and finalizing the draft” of the bill before the election. The state said on Wednesday that a new government had taken over and that the newly formed cabinet would have to reconsider the matter as it was not privy to the proceedings.

The petition was filed by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority for stricter laws to deal with the menace of disorder, following a spate of related incidents in the state that culminated in the 2024 death of JS Sidharth, a junior veterinary student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Wayanad.

Published – 10 Jun 2026 22:23 IST