Karnataka High Court

Composition

The High Court is composed of the Chief Justice of Karnataka and other judges, who are appointed by the President of India. As of February 2022, there are 45 judges in the High Court, against a sanctioned maximum strength of 62. Valluri Kameswar Rao has been the Acting Chief Justice since 30 May 2025.

Powers and jurisdiction

The High Court is the highest judicial authority within the State of Karnataka. It has superintendence over all courts and tribunals, such as district courts, operating within Karnataka, except those of the armed forces. Appeals against judgments of lower courts, such as district-level civil and sessions courts, are heard in the High Court. Appeals against judgments of the High Court are heard by the Supreme Court of India.

The High Court is a court of record and has the authority to prosecute for contempt of itself.

The Karnataka High Court has permanent benches at Hubballi-Dharwada (operational on 24 August 2013) and Kalaburagi (operational on 31 August 2013). Prior to the establishment of permanent benches, Hubballi-Dharwada and Kalaburagi had circuit benches of Karnataka High Court starting in 2008. The Hubballi-Dharwada bench was inaugurated by then Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan on 4 July 2008 and became operational on 7 July 2008.

Premises

Main article: Attara Kacheri

The High Court's principal bench is located in Bengaluru, in a building called the Attara Kacheri. It is a two-storey building made of stone and brick, painted red, in the neoclassical style. The building was constructed between 1864 and 1868 and is located in Bengaluru's Cubbon Park.

In 1982, it was proposed to demolish this building. A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the High Court to prevent demolition. This was the first PIL ever filed in the court, and the case was heard in the same building that was supposed to be demolished. The petition was dismissed by the High Court, but in 1985 the proposal to demolish the building was dropped after the Supreme Court directed the state government to reconsider demolition.

Heritage

Lord Cubbon, the then Viceroy of Colonial India was responsible for building Attara Kacheri. The building features Greco-Roman styled architecture with red paint and a sprawling expansive layout, marked by a distinguished central structure. A portion of the High Court building served as Attara Kacheri, during the Mysore Kingdom era, housing various public offices.

The entrance of the Attara Kacheri building now faces the side opposite to the Vidhana Soudha, which was originally the rear side of the former Attara Kacheri. Over a hundred years later, when the building became the High Court, it began to show signs of age and wear. This led to the proposal for its demolition during the tenure of Kengal Hanumanthaiah and again in 1984, when there was a plan to replace it with a new structure. These proposals faced significant protests from citizens who opposed dismantling the colonial-era building.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed, but the High Court dismissed the petition. The case was subsequently taken to the Supreme Court. In consideration of the public concerns, the government decided not to demolish the building but instead to renovate and expand it to meet modern needs. The government of Karnataka assigned the task to the engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD). Preparations began in 1986 to renovate the old structure and add a new parallel block, designed in the same style as the original Attara Kacheri.

In 1990s, the Karnataka Government successfully rejuvenated the Attara Kacheri building, adding new blocks alongside the existing structure. The old building was reinforced to accommodate the updated requirements. The Northern Block was formally Inaugurated by Lokayuktha Venkatachala, with a plaque installed during the event.

Chief Justice and Judges

The current sitting judges of the court are as follows:

Former Chief Justices

P. Mahadevayya, M. Sadasivayya, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau, Sam Piroj Bharucha and G. T. Nanavati were among the notable Chief Justices who presided over this court.

List of former Chief Justices

;High Court of Mysore

;High Court of Karnataka

Judges elevated to Supreme Court

Currently serving

Former Judges

Judges elevated as Chief Justices

Additional Benches

Controversies

In late 2002, 14 newspapers and periodicals reported allegations of a sex scandal involving some judges of the Karnataka High Court in Mysore. In response, the Chief Justice formed a high-level judicial inquiry committee to investigate the matter. The committee later acquitted the judges, as no substantial evidence could be found to support the allegations.

As of 2023, approximately 2.7 lakh cases were pending in Karnataka High Court, which is facing a significant backlog. The court has struggled with delays due to challenges in adhering to the Karnataka Civil Procedure Code and delivering timely justice.

As of August 2024, approximately 20 Lakh cases are pending across the state, with the High Court serving as the final custodian of justice in these matters.

References

References

1. {{cite constitution. (1950)
2. "High Court of Karnataka Official Web Site".
3. (9 January 2020). "High Court sees highest number of judges at 43".
4. {{cite constitution. (1950)
5. {{cite constitution. (1950)
6. {{cite constitution. (1950)
7. "Permanent Benches of Karnataka High Court Established at Dharwad and Gulbarga".
8. "Dharwad high court bench all set to celebrate its 10th anniversary". [[The Times of India]].
9. "Attara Kacheri: Building that housed 18 public departments made way for Karnataka High Court". The Economic Times.
10. (18 April 2007). "When the axe was spared". [[The Hindu]].
11. (18 April 2006). "The battle for Attara Kacheri". [[The Hindu]].
12. Dayananda, Prof. N. Justice N Venkatachala - The Tireless Crusader. pp. 143-165
13. Iyer, Meera (2019) Discovering Bengaluru. {{ISBN. 9353210291 pp. 98-99
14. [https://karnatakajudiciary.kar.nic.in/profiles-sitting-judges.php High Court of Karnataka - Profile of sitting judges]
15. (5 August 2006). "Contracts signed for circuit Bench buildings". [[The Hindu]].
16. (7 February 2003). "Mysore sex scandal: Media faces contempt case". The Times of India.
17. "Contempt proceedings against scribes stayed". The Tribune.
18. "Karnataka HC judges cleared in sex scandal". Rediff.
19. Singh, Ratna. (2023-08-15). "Alarming that over 2.7 lakh cases pending in Karnataka High Court: Chief Justice PB Varale".
20. (2024-08-12). "With 16% vacancies, lower courts in Karnataka grapple with 20L+ pending cases". The Times of India.