Despite ongoing appeals from the Mangaluru Bar Association and various organizations, the state government has clarified that there are no intentions to set up a high court circuit bench in the city.
MLC Ivan D’Souza emphasized the difficulties faced by legal professionals and petitioners from six districts, including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. However, CM Siddaramaiah stated that no such proposal is under review.
Through an unstarred question, D’Souza inquired about the status of a petition submitted by advocates pushing for the establishment of a circuit bench in Mangaluru. He argued that a high court bench in the coastal city would greatly benefit residents of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu, saving them from long journeys to Bengaluru for legal proceedings.
The MLC further questioned whether the government intended to form a committee to assess the feasibility of establishing the bench. He pointed out that Mangaluru already has the required infrastructure, including buildings and essential amenities.
Responding to the query, CM Siddaramaiah cited Section 51 of the State Re-Organisation Act, 1956, explaining that the chief justice of the high court, with the governor’s approval, holds the authority to create circuit benches anywhere in the state. He reiterated that no such proposal is currently under the government’s consideration.
Despite continuous campaigns and delegations meeting the CM with requests for a budget allocation, no mention of the circuit bench appeared in the recently announced state budget.
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