Addressing Overcrowding Concerns in Karnataka High Court
On Friday, courtroom 14 of the Karnataka High Court became the scene of a critical dialogue between the Bench and the Bar regarding ongoing issues of overcrowding. Justice M Nagaprasanna called upon advocates to propose solutions, as the congested environment has made it difficult for lawyers to navigate and secure seating, particularly in the later hours of the workday.
Senior Advocate KN Phanindra highlighted the acute shortage of space and seating, emphasizing the urgent need for measures to alleviate the overcrowding. Justice Nagaprasanna responded, “How? All of you give me a solution, I’ll implement it.” He assured attendees, “I am not taking it as a complaint, even I want to solve this problem… We’ll discuss with the court officer and do something.”
Interns and Seating Issues
The issue of interns occupying chairs meant for lawyers was also raised, with Justice Nagaprasanna stating, “What should I do with interns? Ask them not to come. They can’t occupy the chairs.” Phanindra echoed these concerns, noting, “I had to request interns to get up and give me the chair. They are not taught this basic thing in college, but they are sent to intern to the court, unfortunately.”
Proposed Solutions for Efficient Court Operations
Phanindra suggested creating a single causelist with all cases to be called in a continuous and predictable manner, rather than alternating between multiple causelists. Justice Nagaprasanna pointed out a practical necessity for multiple causelists, as there is a demand for fresh matters to be addressed daily, separate from older cases. He also noted that numerous urgent hearing memos are submitted in the mornings, prior to calling out the listed items.
The courtroom congestion intensifies post-lunch, with litigants and others remaining to see if their cases will be reached. “Advocates can’t even find a seat here. To come in is a problem, to go out…Parties say they have come here for settlement,” Phanindra observed.
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Justice Nagaprasanna proposed a potential solution by suggesting that settlement parties only be allowed entry after 4 PM, thereby reducing the crowd by approximately 25%. Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath noted that lawyers often occupy seats earlier in the day, anticipating an earlier call for their cases. He proposed separating morning and afternoon matters in the list for better clarity, though Justice Nagaprasanna doubted its practicality.
Recalling earlier practices, the Court noted that limiting fresh matter hearings to certain days reduced crowding. However, the current system was adopted following requests for daily fresh matter hearings. Justice Nagaprasanna remarked, “All of you started to complain that we want fresh matters every day… You need to cooperate as well.”
ASG Kamath suggested a trial-and-error approach to develop a viable solution. Justice Nagaprasanna assured that efforts would be made to address the issue, acknowledging the complexity of case management and the long hours judges dedicate to their duties. “All of us are overworking. I am going home at 9:30 in the night. Then I have to go read the files, the next day’s files,” he shared.
