Advocates to launch protest seeking High Court Bench for Shivamogga - The HinduPublished - October 11, 2026 07:36 pm IST - ShivamoggaAdvocates in Shivamogga have resolved to launch the second phase of their protest with the support of various organisations, seeking a Circuit Bench of the High Court of Karnataka in the city, on Monday. They will begin a dharna on the premises of the district court.Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Shivamogga Advocates Association president G.R. Raghavendra Swamy said the Shivamogga High Court Circuit Bench Struggle Committee would launch the protest with the support of various organisations in the district. A series of protests had been held by different organisations on the issue in May this year.Senior advocate Basappa Gowda said the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka had constituted a panel of judges to examine the feasibility of establishing a bench for the coastal and Malnad districts. “This development is a positive move, following our efforts. The panel will visit the districts in the coastal and Malnad regions before submitting its report,” he said.He reiterated that Shivamogga was the most suitable location for the Bench, as it was easily accessible to people in the central region of the State. “Setting up a Bench in Mangaluru will not help the Malnad region in any way. Making people travel to Mangaluru to attend court proceedings will be a financial burden on them. Moreover, there has been a demand for a Bench in Shivamogga since 1950,” he said.District BJP president N.K. Jagadish, District Congress Committee president H.C. Yogesh, advocate K.P. Sripal and others were present at the press conference.Published - October 11, 2026 07:36 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }