K C Joseph asked to appear before Kerala High Court on March 1

Kochi: Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed Minister for Cultural Affairs K.C. Joseph to appear in person before the court on March 1 in a contempt of court proceedings initiated against him.

Though the court had summoned him on a plea filed by CPM  MLA V. Sivankutty,  Mr  Joseph had sought exemption from appearance in person  as Assembly was in session.  He  also sought permission to appear before the court any day after February 25.  In an affidavit, he    tendered an unconditional apology over the derogatory remarks made against a judge.

A division bench  comprising Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice Sunil Thomas, however, held that further examination of  the merits of the affidavit tendering an apology will be considered after his personal appearance.

The minister submitted that he has to attend the  Assembly which  is in the last session of  the present ministry. The discussion on  the budget which was presented on February 12 was  going on and the Assembly was  scheduled to be held till February 25. Being the minister, he cannot leave the Assembly these days, he submitted. 

Meanwhile,  the court appointed advocate P.B. Krishnan as amicus curiae to assist the court in the contempt of court proceedings and the court directed him to examine the affidavit filed by the minister.

In the affidavit,  Mr Joseph stated,  “I have no intention to bring disrepute to the institution of judiciary or any judge of the High Court. The expressions used by me in the Facebook post was not intended to make any slanderous remarks against the judicial  system or cause insinuation against a particular judge or the system as a whole,” he said.

He  expressed deep regret for the unnecessary incorporation of the offending usages through the post. Mr   Joseph had criticised Justice Alexander Thomas who observed that the functioning of the Advocate- General’s office in the state was not efficient.