The Karnataka High Court is the highest judicial institution for the state of Karnataka, authorized by the Constitution of India. Its principal bench is located in Bengaluru in the historic Attara Kacheri building, with permanent benches in Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi. The court's origin traces back to the Chief Court of Mysore, established in 1884 under the Chief Court Regulation (1) of 1884. It was renamed the High Court of Mysore in 1930. The problem it solved was establishing a supreme court of appeal, reference, and revision for the erstwhile State of Mysore. Following the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, its jurisdiction was extended, and it received its current name in 1973 when the state was renamed Karnataka.
The court functions with original, appellate, and supervisory jurisdiction. It is empowered to issue writs like Habeas Corpus and Mandamus under Article 226 of the Constitution for the enforcement of fundamental rights. It exercises superintendence over all subordinate courts and tribunals in the state under Article 227. The internal mechanism is governed by the Karnataka High Court Act, 1961, which defines the powers of a single judge versus a bench of two judges. Appeals from its judgments are heard by the Supreme Court of India under Article 136.
Recently, the court's civil appellate jurisdiction was significantly altered by the Karnataka High Court (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Karnataka Civil Courts (Amendment) Act, 2023, notified in June 2024. These amendments, upheld by the High Court in a July 2026 verdict, transfer many Regular First Appeals (RFAs) from the High Court to the district courts to reduce pendency. The court's permanent benches at Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi were made operational on August 24, 2013, and August 31, 2013, respectively, after starting as circuit benches in 2008.