Karnataka High Court Forms Panel to Examine Bench Feasibility in Coastal Districts
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
The Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court constituted a three-judge committee to examine the feasibility of establishing a Circuit Bench or Permanent Bench in the state's coastal or Malnad region. Justices Anu Sivaraman, S.G. Pandit, and Mohammad Nawaz will consult stakeholders across Mangaluru, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu-Madikeri, Hassan, Davanagere, and Uttara Kannada districts before submitting a report. The demand has been led by the Mangaluru Bar Association and the Coastal High Court Bench Agitation Committee, which cite logistical challenges and high travel expenses for litigants travelling to Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru, has opposed the move as premature, arguing that an additional bench could fragment the High Court and affect judicial consistency. Senior officials previously indicated that a 50,000 sq. ft. facility at the old Deputy Commissioner's office in Mangaluru is available to house the proposed bench.
Why it matters
Litigants and advocates in coastal Karnataka face significant travel costs and delays for High Court hearings in Bengaluru, making local bench access a major regional priority.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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