Litigants Cannot Choose Judges: Kerala High Court Warns Against Forum Shopping

The Kerala High Court ruled that parties cannot demand a change of judge based on personal preferences or past decisions.

The case involved lawyer Asif Azad, who sought to quash a cheque dishonour complaint but requested the judge to recuse himself after his petition was returned for curing defects.

Justice A. Badharudeen rejected the plea, emphasizing that judicial assignments are made through administrative processes, not litigant choice.

The Court clarified that each case is decided on merit and cautioned that repeated attempts to bypass judicial allocation may attract legal action for forum shopping. (Asif Azad v Jaimon Baby & Anr.)