Mangaluru 30 August 2026: A committee will be constituted to examine the demand for establishing a Karnataka High Court circuit bench in the coastal region, MLC and convenor of the High Court Coastal Circuit Bench Agitation Committee Ivan D'Souza said.
According to D'Souza, Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Justice Vibhu Bakhru has assured the delegation that the matter would be examined and necessary steps taken after considering the relevant issues. Karnataka Government has already responded positively to the demand and is ready to provide the necessary infrastructure for a circuit bench, D'Souza said.
Against this backdrop, a delegation of the agitation committee met Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru at his office in Bengaluru on Friday. The delegation discussed the views emerging from different parts of the coastal region, discussions between the districts and the issues that could pose challenges to establishing the bench.
Delegation requested the Chief Justice to constitute a committee immediately to examine the facts and various aspects related to the proposed circuit bench.
Chief Justice, according to D'Souza, agreed to consider the request and assured that the facts would be examined through a committee before further action is taken.
Delegation included Mangaluru Bar Association president Jagadish Shenava, Udupi Bar Association president Ronald Praveen, former Mangaluru Bar Association president Raghavendra Rao, the Principal District Government Pleader and PRM P. Noronha, among others.
D'Souza said the Karnataka Government is giving priority to several development projects in Mangaluru. He added that when the State Cabinet holds a meeting in Mangaluru, the demand for a High Court circuit bench in coastal Karnataka is expected to be an important issue alongside the overall development of the coastal region.
Keywords
Coastal Karnataka High Court Bench, High Court Circuit Bench, Mangaluru, Ivan D'Souza, Karnataka High Court, Justice Vibhu Bakhru, Citizen News Puttur