Know how many lawyers are practicing in Bhatkal, and other details of local courts

Bhatkal 24 July 2018: (Bhatkallys News Bureau) Bhatkal first received the sanction of a court in 1952, when a Munsif court was established in Bhatkal at the old Municipal building near old bus stand, and was later in 1988 moved to its current premises on NH 66 Ranginkatte. Since 1952, the Bhatkal Munsif court has been upgraded several times. It was started as the Munsif ourt with only principal JMFC and Civil Court, later it was upgraded with Addl. Civil Judge keeping the pendancies of the cases, and as recently as in 2017 it was again upgraded with Senior Civil Judge. The local Bar Association, affiliated to the state's Bar Council, a body regulating and dealing with advocate's affairs has 65 advocates practicing under it in Bhatkal, out of which 30 advocates are senior advocates. Advocate Ravindra R Shresty is the senior most advocate of the town in terms of numbers of years in practice with over 31 years in practice, while Advocate Kamlakar Byrumane is the president of Bhatkal Bar Association. Bhatkallys.com caught up with Ravindra Shresty to know more about the local judicial system and what has changed over the years since he started his practice. "I started my practice in 1987 when the court premises were still in the old TMC building, I was working under Advocate NR Hegde of Honnavar, when Bhatkal only had Munsif court and the senior civil judge court was in Honnavar, and would look cases of three Talukas, Bhatkal, Honnavar and Kumta" Shresty recalls. "Looking in to the pendencies of the cases, it was upgraded times and again, and now Bhatkal also has its own Senior Civil Judge, so a lot has changed over the course of 31 years" Shresty adds. Speaking of the pendencies of cases in Bhatkal, Shresty says "The pendency ratio is moderate, you cannot call it too much neither you can call it satisfactory". When asked about the change is nature of advocates of 1980s and 2010s, Shresty smilingly says "There is no change, a few young advocates are very furious to win cases as they are new to profession, it doesn't go like that new advocates have to study a lot to build a stature for themselves of being a good advocate, its not about 1980s and 2010s, even in 80s the new advocates were furious, the game is all about who remain patient and improvise his skills to establish himself to be a good advocate". (Bhatkallys News Bureau/ Ismail Zaorez)