The Hindu

Bangalore, Jan 13: The former Judge of Karnataka High Court and Chairman of Karnataka Chapter of Transparency International India M.F. Saldanha has sought a Supreme Court Bench in Bangalore.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Saldanha said a bench would increase the Supreme Court’s accessibility to people not only in Karnataka, but also from other south Indian States.

“Not even 1 per cent of the population has access to the Supreme Court. Over the past six decades, the volume and nature of litigation has multiplied by at least 1,000 per cent. However, the number of judges in the Supreme Court has not even doubled; neither has the overall infrastructure improved,” he said.

Terming the lack of access to Supreme Court as “a total casualty of justice,” Mr. Saldanha said the backlog should not be counted in terms of numbers but in real terms. For every case that reaches Supreme Court, there are no less than another 1,000 that do not due to financial and distance limitations.

“If there is a Supreme Court Bench in Bangalore, the load will be reduced and litigants from the southern peninsula will be benefited,” he said, and claimed that the State Government was willing to provide the necessary infrastructure. “Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily is also favourable and he wants to ensure that the justice delivery system is accessible to all,” he said.

He also said in the Karnataka High Court, the success rate of public interest litigations was not even 3 per cent. “Most of them are summarily dismissed. These petitions, filed by individuals and non-governmental organisations, are usually about serious social, environmental and economic issues. They will not have the strength or financial capacity to take the matter to the Supreme Court.”

Pramila Nesargi, senior advocate and former chairperson of Karnataka State Women’s Commission, also spoke.

B.G. Koshy, vice-chairman, and B.V. Shetty, honorary secretary, Karnataka Chapter of Transparency International India, were present.