Karnataka HC forms panel to examine bench in Mangaluru, other districts

Karnataka HC forms panel to examine bench in Mangaluru, other districts

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 30, 2026: The Karnataka High Court has constituted a three-member committee to examine the feasibility of establishing a High Court circuit or permanent bench in Mangaluru/Udupi and several other regions of the state.

The committee will assess the feasibility of setting up benches in Mangaluru/Udupi representing the coastal Karnataka region, as well as Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu-Madikeri, Hassan, Davanagere and Uttara Kannada. It has also been directed to consult all stakeholders before submitting its report.

The committee comprises Justice Anu Sivaraman, Justice S.G. Pandit and Justice Mohammad Nawaz. It was constituted through a notification issued by Karnataka High Court Registrar General M. Chandrashekar Reddy on September 29.

The Mangalore Bar Association has welcomed the decision, describing it as an important step towards examining the long-standing demand for a High Court bench in coastal Karnataka.

Bar Association president Jagadish K. Shenava said people from Mangaluru and other parts of the coastal region currently have to travel to Bengaluru to access the High Court.

He said a High Court bench in Mangaluru would make access to justice easier for people in the region and reduce the time and financial burden involved in travelling to Bengaluru.

Shenava said the notification marked significant progress in efforts that have been underway for several years to establish a High Court bench in Mangaluru. He added that the Mangalore Bar Association would continue to extend its cooperation and undertake constructive efforts towards the proposal.

Karavali High Court Peeta Horata Samithi president and MLC Ivan D’Souza also welcomed the constitution of the committee. He said the demand for a High Court bench in the coastal region had been pending for several years, mainly because litigants from the coast have to travel to Bengaluru for hearings.

According to D’Souza, the committee has organised protests, submitted memoranda and held public meetings at various stages to draw the Chief Justice’s attention to the issue.

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier written to the Chief Justice expressing the state government’s willingness to provide the infrastructure and other facilities required for establishing a High Court bench in Mangaluru. The state government had also identified the old Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mangaluru as potential infrastructure for the proposed bench.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has also reiterated the government’s commitment to the proposal, D’Souza said.

The Karnataka High Court currently has its principal seat in Bengaluru and benches at Dharwad and Kalaburagi.