A file photo of the old office of the Deputy Commissioner in Mangaluru that has been identified by High Court Bench Horata Samiti for setting up the Circuit Bench of Karnataka High Court
MP for Dakshina Kannada Capt. Brijesh Chowta on Wednesday wrote to Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal requesting his support and intervention for the establishment of a Circuit Bench and subsequently a permanent Bench of the High Court of Karnataka in Mangaluru.“This long-standing aspiration of the regional Bar, civil society, and the public has recently achieved immense institutional consensus across the executive, legislative, and judicial echelons of the State,” he said.Capt. Chowta said that the legal and geographical justification for decentralising judicial access to Mangaluru remains undeniable. The coastal and Malnad districts, comprising Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and Uttara Kannada, collectively generate a massive caseload for the Principal Bench in Bengaluru. Around 30% cases in the High Court are from these districts. Litigants from these regions are forced to travel nearly 370 km to Bengaluru. As a vital engine of growth, Mangaluru has the second-highest GDP per capita in Karnataka and serves as a major trade centre. Its status as a strategic port hub further reinforces its readiness to host a judicial Bench that aligns with the region’s massive economic and administrative expansion.He further worte: “This initiative has been led and guided by former Justice of Supreme Court and Governor of Andhra Pradesh Syed Abdul Nazeer. In a major boost to this demand, Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah has formally written to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on May 13, 2026, conveying the State government’s complete readiness to facilitate the infrastructure with immediate effect. Furthermore, the MLAs and MLCs from the region are wholeheartedly in support, we believe that making decentralised judicial delivery is a pragmatic necessity in the region.”Capt. Chowta wrote that in fresh and highly promising developments, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Vibhu Bakhru, has positively responded to the representations made by the High Court Bench Horata Samiti and the Mangaluru Bar Association.The Chief Justice has scheduled a personal visit to Mangaluru to inspect the available infrastructure facilities before rendering a final decision on setting up the Circuit Bench.The establishment of this Bench will realise the constitutional promise of affordable, localised, and timely justice while significantly lowering the pendency burden on the Principal Bench in Bengaluru, he said.“...I earnestly request the Ministry of Law and Justice to lend its full administrative and policy support to accelerate the approval of a Circuit Bench and its subsequent transition into a Permanent High Court Bench in Mangaluru,” Capt. Chowta wrote. Published - May 27, 2026 09:41 pm IST
