Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Vibhu Bakhru, requesting that he consider the demand to set up a circuit bench of the High Court in Mangaluru.

In his May 13 letter, the Chief Minister said that the State government is fully prepared to facilitate the initiative with “immediate effect” and that suitable infrastructure to set up the bench is already available in Mangaluru.

“...A spacious premise of approximately 50,000 sq. ft. in the old Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mangaluru has been identified and can be promptly repurposed for court operations. Residential accommodations for the honourable judges have already 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 said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that establishing a circuit bench in Mangaluru will empower lakhs of citizens across coastal Karnataka, strengthen faith in institutions and reflect “our collective commitment to ensuring that justice is not distant, but accessible and immediate.”

The Chief Minister said that the demand for a bench in the Mangaluru region has been long-standing and is widely supported by members of the Bar, civil society, and the public at large. “It is both a pragmatic necessity and a progressive step towards realising a more responsive judicial system,” he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the proposal is not merely administrative in nature, but is rooted in the broader vision of inclusive governance, regional equity, and judicial efficiency.

The letter said that 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 members of the Bar from these districts are required to travel long distances to Bengaluru, often incurring substantial financial and logistical burdens. This has inevitably resulted in delays, reduced access, and inequitable delivery of justice.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that 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.

Ivan D’Souza, MLC, who released the letter of Mr. Siddaramaiah at a press conference here on Saturday, said that the letter is a significant boost to the demand of the civil society for the bench in Mangaluru. Now the Chief Justice of Karnataka will have to take a call on the demand, he said.