Siddaramaiah writes to CJ of Karnataka High Court on the need for Circuit Bench in Mangaluru

Mangaluru: MLC Ivan D'Souza said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court highlighting the need for the establishment of a Circuit Bench of the High Court in Mangaluru.

The setting up of a Circuit Bench in Mangaluru will benefit people from Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Udupi districts. The decision regarding the jurisdiction of the bench rests solely with the Chief Justice, he told mediapersons.

“If everything goes as planned, the Circuit Bench is expected to be established by August," said the MLC.

The Chief Justice of the High Court is likely to visit the city either by the end of this month or in the first week of June to inspect the identified infrastructure for setting up the High Court Circuit Bench in Mangaluru.

In his letter to the Chief Justice, the Chief Minister stated: “The coastal regions of Karnataka represent a vibrant socio-economic belt with significant contributions to the State’s economy, education, trade and cultural heritage. Despite this, litigants and advocates from these districts have to travel long distances to Bengaluru, often incurring substantial financial and logistical burdens for cases in the High Court. This has inevitably resulted in delays, reduced access and inequitable delivery of justice."

“The establishment of a Circuit Bench in Mangaluru would mark a transformative step in decentralising judicial access and reinforcing the constitutional promise of timely and affordable justice. It would significantly reduce pendency pressures on the principal bench while ensuring that justice is delivered closer to the people it serves,” the letter stated.

The Chief Minister also said that the Government of Karnataka is fully prepared to facilitate the initiative with immediate effect. A ready and suitable infrastructure is already available for the Circuit Bench.

According to the letter, around 50,000 sq ft of space at the old Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Mangaluru has been identified for court operations.

Residential accommodation for judges has also been identified and can be made functional without delay. Necessary civic, administrative and logistical infrastructure is in place to ensure the seamless functioning of the Bench from its inception, the letter added.

The MLC pointed out that during a meeting with the Chief Justice in Udupi, the Chief Justice acknowledged that it was a genuine demand and that the law should be decentralised so that justice could be delivered closer to the people.

“With the Chief Minister writing to the Chief Justice, we feel that 80 per cent of the work is done,” he said, expressing confidence that the High Court Circuit Bench would be established soon.