Mangalore Bar Association to begin postcard campaign demanding High Court bench in city from Dec 13

'As advocates from various parts of the state will take part in the tournament, we will impress upon them the need for a High Court bench in Mangaluru,' said association president H V Raghavendra.

Mangaluru: Mangalore Bar Association will initiate a postcard campaign demanding a High Court bench in Mangaluru during the state-level advocates cricket and throwball tournament here, from December 13 to 15.

As advocates from various parts of the state will take part in the tournament, we will impress upon them the need for a High Court bench in Mangaluru. Through all the participating advocates, a postcard campaign will be held, said association president H V Raghavendra to media persons.

“Mangaluru has all the infrastructure for setting up a High Court bench. If the Bench is set up, it will cater not only to Dakshina Kannada, but also to Udupi, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga districts. Bengaluru is situated 360-km away from Mangaluru to reach out to the High Court. If the bench is situated in Mangaluru, it will benefit the people of the region. Already, about 30 per cent of the cases pertaining to writ petitions, bail applications, land tribunal cases, from the region are pending with the High Court in Bengaluru,” he said.

“The Bar Association will meet Chief Minister on December 18 at Belagavi and will submit a memorandum urging him to earmark funds in the budget for the setting up of the High Court bench in Mangaluru. Once budgetary allocation is made, then we can persuade the Governor, High Court Chief Justice and Supreme Court Chief Justice. Finally, it is the Supreme Court which sanctions the High Court Bench,” he added.

“The demand for a High Court bench in Mangaluru was first raised in 1981 and later in 2014. This time, we are involving members of all associations to pressurise the same.”

Tournament

Raghavendra said as many as 36 teams for cricket and 10 teams for throwball tournaments will take part. The tournaments will be held at Nehru Maidan in Mangaluru and NMPT ground in Panambur. The tournament will be inaugurated on December 13. On December 14, all MLAs, MLCs from DK and Speaker U T Khader will be invited for a stage programme.

During the programme, we will urge MLAs to raise the demand in the ongoing Assembly session in Belagavi. The valedictory programme of the tournament will be attended by Andhra Pradesh Governor Justice S Abdul Nazeer, high court judges Justice Mohammed Nawaz, Justice Vishwajith Shetty and others.