The Hindu : Karnataka News : Chief Justice to re-examine plea for High Court Bench

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 16, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Chief Justice to re-examine plea for High Court Bench

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 15. With the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, leading an all-party delegation to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, N.K. Jain, to renew the appeal for setting up a High Court Bench in north Karnataka today, this long-pending demand is set to be given a re-look.

However, no timeframe has been fixed for setting up the Bench, and the location, a bone of contention, has not been decided yet.

The presidents of the advocates' associations of the 12 districts in the region were part of the delegation.

Mr. Dharam Singh, emerging from the meeting, told presspersons that Mr. Jain was ready to "re-examine" the plea for the convenience of litigants.

Mr. Jain is said to have pointed out that if a building, other infrastructure and the wherewithal were provided, there was no problem in setting up the Bench at any place chosen by the State Government. However, he was concerned about how the Government proposed to provide them, given that adequate funds were not being provided to the fast-track courts set up a few years ago. Public prosecutors had not been appointed in these courts. The Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, said: "As the Finance Minister, I have assured the Chief Justice that the Government will spare no effort or expense to make the High Court Bench a reality."

`A disappointment'

C.R. Patil, vice-president of the Hubli Bar Association said: "Today's meeting has brought us no nearer to a solution. It was a disappointment because the Chief Justice did not really say anything to indicate that the High Court Bench would become a reality."

Asked in which of the districts the Bench would be located, Mr. Siddaramaiah refused to commit himself and said the advocates' associations had said that they were united and would inform the Government about their choice.

"We will go by their decision and provide the funds and the infrastructure immediately," he said.

The Hubli Bar Association wants the Bench anywhere in the region, but Mr. Patil pointed to the opinion given by the then Chief Justice, D.M. Chandrashekar, in October 1979 that a permanent Bench could be established in Dharwad.

He said it was the late Chandrashekar's view that north Karnataka needed the Bench and, even in 1979, the State was willing to provide infrastructure. The proposal for the establishment of the Bench had been pending before the Union Government since then.

The consent given in 1979 was binding on successive chief justices, Mr. Patil said.

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