The Karnataka High Court has defended its action in shifting the City’s family courts located at the City Civil Courts Complex near Mysore Bank Circle, to the Nyaya Degula building on Siddaiah Road as an action taken in consultation with the City Advocates Association and in the interest of litigant public.

In a response to the protest against the shifting, staged by some advocates at the City Civil Courts Complex on Monday, a press release from HC Registrar General RB Budihal, said that the protest was due to misinformation and misunderstanding of facts.

The release said that eight Additional City Civil and Sessions Courts sanctioned by the State Government in 2003 and one family court were pending establishment for want of space in the City Civil Courts Complex, despite huge pendency of cases.

Even the three existing family courts were suffocated due to lack of space. On the other hand, six court halls were lying vacant in the new Nyaya Degula building, recently handed over to HC by State Government, it explained.

Considering the nature of cases handled by family courts, Nyaya Degula building which also houses a Mediation Centre, was found suitable, the release said.

It stated that Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph had even consulted the office-bearers of Advocates Association, Bangalore (AAB) in the matter. After discussing the matter before the Executive Committee, the office-bearers had informed Chief Justice that family courts may be shifted and in the space vacated, new Additional City Civil and Sessions Courts might be established.

Following this, family courts were shifted and three new Civil Courts were started at the Complex with effect from July 16, 2007, it stated. In these circumstances, the protest by a few advocates is totally misconceived and ill-advised, the release added.

It can be remembered that the advocates who protested the shifting of family courts on Monday, had alleged that the High Court had not consulted them before taking the decision and that AAB office-bearers had supported the same, despite opposition by most members.