The Karnataka High Court has constituted a three-member committee of judges to examine the feasibility of establishing circuit or permanent benches of the High Court in several regions across the State, including Mangaluru, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu-Madikeri, Hassan, Davanagere, and Uttara Kannada.

The committee, constituted by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru through a notification dated September 29, 2026, comprises Justice Anu Sivaraman, Justice S.G. Pandit, and Justice Mohammad Nawaz. The notification, issued by Registrar General M. Chandrashekar Reddy, states that the committee will function with immediate effect.

According to the notification, the committee has been directed to verify the feasibility of establishing a High Court circuit bench or permanent bench in the identified regions and to consult all stakeholders before submitting its report to the High Court.

In a letter dated May 13, ex-Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Chief Justice Bakhru, submitting a proposal to establish the high court's circuit bench at Manguluru.

Soon thereafter, Advocates' Association Bengaluru (AAB) had written to the CJ opposing State's proposal to establish a high court bench at Mangaluru for Coastal Districts, stating that the proposal without conducting stakeholder consultation or an empirical study is 'wholly unwarranted and premature'.