The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Dawn of a new era for State judiciary

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Tuesday, Jul 08, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Dawn of a new era for State judiciary

B.S. Ramesh

Crowds thin out at High Court as Circuit Benches take off

BANGALORE: The judiciary in the State moved into a new era on Monday when Karnataka joined the select band of States that have Circuit Benches functioning apart from the Principle seat of judicature.

On Monday morning, the two Circuit Benches at Dharwad and Gulbarga commenced sittings simultaneously, with the Principle Bench which sat at Bangalore with a reduced strength of judges and advocates attending it.

While Justice S.R. Bannurmath led the bench at Dharwad, Justice V. Gopala Gowda led the bench at Gulbarga. The Principle Bench of the High Court at Bangalore also saw a change of guard with senior-most Judge Deepak Verma, taking over as Acting Chief Justice.

Karnataka now becomes the second State in the south, after Tamil Nadu, to get a Circuit Bench. While its Principle Bench is at Chennai [it is still called Madras High Court], the Bench is at Madurai.

Another State in west India, Maharashtra, has the Bombay High Court located at Mumbai with Benches at Nagpur and Goa.

With five judges posted at Dharwad and Gulbarga and with some of the other judges on leave, several courts in the Principle Bench at Bangalore did not function.

The allotment of subjects to some of the judges in Bangalore was also changed from Monday, leading to advocates and parties seeking adjournment.

Fewer crowds

What was more striking at the High Court here was the dwindling crowds. The parking lot, too, saw a lot of free spaces with fewer vehicles. There was, however, no let up in the security and policemen continued to frisk visitors and ask for identity cards before letting them into the High Court premises.

Several advocates were heard bemoaning that they had cases in all the three places —Bangalore, Dharwad and Gulbarga.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel for the State, Ashok Harnahalli, said several of the agency cases had been transferred to the two Benches and he had to depute a college from his office to the benches. Counsel for Income Tax said some of the cases had been transferred to the Circuit Benches and that arrangements are being worked out to argue them before the benches and also at the Principle seat.

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