The Full Court of the Kerala High Court has unanimously conferred the designation of Senior Advocate on former Governors of Goa and Mizoram, P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, suo motu, without an application being moved by him.
The decision was taken at the Full Court meeting held on November 11, 2026, and the designation takes effect from the same date. The notification was issued on November 13, 2026, under the provisions of Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961, read with the High Court of Kerala (Designation of Senior Advocates) Rules, 2026.
Mr Pillai enrolled as an advocate in 1978 and has had a legal career spanning over four decades. He has served as President of the Kozhikode Bar Association and as Standing Counsel for the Central Government and the CBI before the Kerala High Court.
Apart from his legal career, he has had a distinguished public life. He served as Governor of Mizoram from November 2019 to July 2021 and subsequently as Governor of Goa from July 2021 to July 2025. He also served as President of the Kerala unit of the BJP.
A prolific author, Mr Pillai has written extensively in Malayalam and English on law, politics, constitutional affairs and literature. His 200th book was released in 2023 by the then Vice-President of India.
The unanimous suo motu recognition by the Full Court is noteworthy, as the designation was conferred without an application from Mr Pillai.