HC circuit benches from July 7

On the orders of the chief justice, high court registrar issued a notification in this regard. The full bench of the high court which met on Tuesday passed a resolution permitting sitting of judges at the newly-established circuit benches at Dharwad on Gulbarga.

It was former chief justice M K Jain who had notified the establishment of circuit benches at Dharwad and Gulbarga on October 19, 2004. The full bench of the high court on Tuesday resolved to go a step further and announced the date for the commencement of functioning of the circuit benches. The circuit benches have been established under Section 51 (3) of the State Reorganisation Act 1956.

Wednesday's notification states that the cases from the districts of Bagalkot, Bellary, Belgaum, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal and Uttara Kannada will be heard at Dharwad while those from Bijapur, Bidar, Gulbarga and Raichur will be heard in Gulbarga. Pending cases will be transferred to the respective circuit benches before July 7, 2008. Filing of new cases at the circuit benches will be permitted from July 7, 2008.

President of Dharwad Bar Association B D Hiremath, who led the agitation for the establishment of the circuit benches, expressed happiness over the notification and thanked chief justice Cyriac Joseph and other judges of the high court for the decision. He said it was a victory of the decades-long struggle of the people of North Karnataka.

The construction of new high court buildings at Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) in Dharwad and at Gulbarga is nearing completion. In Dharwad, 11 court halls are ready for occupation. Sources said the high court has already purchased books worth Rs 50 lakh to be kept at libraries in circuit benches. New cars for judges have also been bought, sources said.