The Kerala High Court has amended its Internship Policy for 2026, introducing revised provisions governing eligibility, application procedures, intake, attendance, discipline and certification for law students undertaking internships at the High Court.
The amended policy, notified on October 17, 2026, supersedes the earlier policy that came into effect on July 1, 2026. Under the revised framework, only students in the last two years of their law courses are eligible to apply for internships at the High Court. However, this restriction will not apply to internships undertaken at the discretion of the Hon’ble Judges.
The policy provides for an online application module, which is to be developed under the supervision of the Public Relations Officer (PRO). Until the module is operational, the prescribed procedures will continue to be carried out offline. Applications must be forwarded through the Principal or Head of the applicant’s academic institution, and incomplete applications or those not submitted through the proper channel will not be considered.
Internship applications for placements under individual Judges will be processed only after obtaining the concerned Judge’s consent through the Private Secretary. The policy also provides for fixed internship slots, daily attendance records and monitoring of available positions to ensure that the prescribed intake limits are not exceeded.
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The amended policy further mandates a pre-induction briefing for interns and requires them to comply with the Court’s rules on conduct, working hours, dress code and confidentiality. Interns are prohibited from using mobile phones, cameras or other recording devices inside courtrooms and sensitive areas. Photographing, recording or circulating such material on social media in a manner that compromises the Court’s security may result in immediate termination of the internship.
The policy also clarifies that only days of actual physical attendance will count towards the internship period for the purpose of issuing certificates. In cases of premature termination, no internship certificate will be issued. The Chief Justice retains the authority to amend, modify or relax any provision of the policy.
The amended policy applies to internships under the High Court’s Judges and Sections, as well as internships involving specified stakeholders, including the Advocate General’s Office, the Additional Solicitor General’s Office, the Directorate of Prosecutions, the Kerala State Legal Services Authority, the Mediation Centre and the Bar Council of Kerala. Separate provisions apply to internships under the IT Directorate, the Kerala Judicial Academy and programmes conducted in association with NUALS or other institutions.