The Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram (also Government College of Law, Thiruvananthapuram) at University of Kerala is one of the most prestigious institution imparting undergraduate and graduate legal education in India.
Established in 1875 by the then Maharajah of the erstwhile Princely State of Travancore, the college has produced some of the finest legal minds, including Indian Supreme Court Judges, more than half a dozen sitting Judges of the Kerala High Court, Union Ministers/legislators, academicians, bureaucrats etc. The first woman Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Fathima Beevi is an alumnus of the college, so also noted academician Dr. N.R Madhava Menon.
History
The Government of His Highness Maharaja of Travancore on 31 January 1875 sanctioned "the Organisation of a Law Class in connection with His Highness College at Thiruvananthapuram to enable candidates from Travancore to present themselves for the Law Examination of the University of Madras and to encourage others to pursue the study of Law systematically". The order sanctioning the scheme directed that it shall be worked on the same lines as the Class attached to the Presidency College at Madras. Mr. W. E. Ormsby, Barrister-at-law, then a Judge of Sadur Court of Travancore was appointed Professor of Law in His Highness the Maharajas College. He opened the class on 9 February of the same year. In 1877, His Highness College was affiliated to the University of Madras in the Faculty of Law.
The class was thus continued till 1894 when in conformity with important alterations in the by-laws of the Madras University regarding the B.L. Degree Examination, the institution was re-organised on an entirely different footing. The Law Class which till then was working as a part of His Highness College and the Professors whereof were treated as members of that College was raised to the status of an independent College under the designation of "His Highness Maharaja's Law College, Thiruvananthapuram". A complete set of rules was also sanctioned by the Government for the control and regulation of work in the college. The rules prescribed the qualification required for the members of the teaching staff.
The Law College was maintained by His Highness Government and the management of the college was vested in the Principal acting directly under the orders of Dewan of Travancore till the end of 1908. In 1909 the College was placed under the Director of Public Instruction and in 1910 it was placed under the control of the High Court. With the inauguration of University of Travancore in 1938, the College was transferred to the control and supervision of the University.
In August 1949 the college was shifted to Ernakulam to fit in with the new set up arising out of the integration of erstwhile State of Travancore- Cochin and the location of the High Court of the united State at Eranakulam. In 1954 it was again brought to Thiruvananthapuram, leaving at Ernakulam a sister college and was housed in the current premises in the Highland Bungalow on the Barton Hill. Under the University Act of 1957, the college was transferred to the control of Government of Kerala. In 1961 Government made the Thiruvananthapuram Law College a permanent institution.
In 1962-63 a full-time Post-graduate course was introduced with M. L. Degree and LL.M was started in 1971. Three Year LL.B course was started from 1967-68 & Five Year LL.B. Course was introduced from the academic year 1984-85.
Over 140 years of excellence under the guidance of..
1875-1892 - Dr. W.E. Ommsby
1892-1894 - W. T. A Cosby
1894-1900 - T. A. Cosby, Barrister-at Law
1900-1914 - F.J. R. V. Hunt
1915-1926 - H.S. Chatfield, M. A
1926-1931 - Professor E. J. John, B. A, B. L.
1931-1933 - Professor Mullore K. Govinda Pillai, B A, B L.
1933-1937 - Professor Subramonia Ayyar, M. A, M. L.
1937-1944 - Professor K.P. Padmanabha Pillai, Barrister-at-Law, B A, LL. B .
1944-1958 - Professor K.Narayanan, B A, B.L.
1958-1960 - Professor V.N.Subramonia Iyer, M. A, M. L.
1960-1967 - Professor M. George, B A, M. L.
1967-1979 - Professor R. Sankaradasan Thampi, B. Sc., M. L.
1979-1981 - Professor M. Krishnan Nair, M. A, M. L., LL. M.
1981-1985 - Professor K. Sreekantan, B. Sc., M. L.
1985-1990 - Professor V. Vijayabalan, B. Sc., M. L.
1990-1993 - Professor K. Subramonia Pillai, M. A., M. L.
1993-1998 - Professor R. Vijayakrishnan, B. A, M. L.
1998-2005 - Professor M. M. Madhavan Potti, B. Sc. LL. M.
2005-2008 - Professor K. S. Ajayakumar, B. Sc., LL. M.
2008-2009 - Professor Smt. S. Usha, B. A., LL. M.
2009-2010 - Professor (Dr.) G. Rajasckharan Nair, B. Sc., LL. M., Ph. D.
2010-2013 - Professor Smt. S. Usha, B. A., LL. M
2013 -2014 - Dr. A. Prasanna BSc., LL.M, PGCCL,Ph.D
2014- 2015 - Dr. A. S. Saroja,B Sc LL. M. Ph. D
2015 - Dr.Reghunathan. K.R, LLM, Ph.D