The present Kasaragod District was formed out of former Kasaragod Taluk which was part of South Canara District. South Canara District formed part of original Bombay State. Formerly there was only are District as Canara District Comprising of the later North Canara and South Canara Districts. More than a century ago, Canara District was divided in to North Canara and South Canara Districts, and South Canara District was tagged on to erstwhile Madras state and it remained part of the said state till the reorganization of states in 1956.

The British Judicial System was introduced in the whole of South Canara District somewhere in 1836. The present Kasaragod District was then known as Bekal Taluk.

The history of Kasaragod courts starts with a Panchayath Raj of Gandhian conception. First we had the Bekal Panchayath Courts in 1857 which was abviosly unfettered by the labrythine procedural law of our present Anglo- Saxon Jurisprudential process. Disputes were settled on facts gathered and on, an on the spot information and inspection basis which must having been satisfying to both the contending parties.

The we had the Bekal Munsiff court, which was the forerunner of our present institution, which came into being in Eighteen hundred and Seventies. Regarding criminal Jurisdiction, Magistrate court was also functioning since more than a century and it was known as Bekal Magistrate’s Court. Probably since 1882 the Beal Taluk came to be known as Kasaragod Taluk and the Munsiff Court, Kasaragod came to be known as District Munsiff Court, Kasaragod.

The District Head Quarters of former Kasaragod Taluk was Mangalore where the District and Sessions Court, and collectorate were situated. The Revenue Sub District was formed of Puttur Taluk and Kasaragod Taluk and the said state of affairs continued till the Re-organisation of states in 1956.

The entire Kasaragod Taluk had only the Munsiff’s Court which was called the District Munsiff’s Court. Depending on the load of work, this Munsiff’s Court used to have Additional Munsiff’s Court. For the administration of Criminal justice there used to be II Class Magistrate’s Court and a Bench Court in Kasaragod. The Bench Court was formed by the leading citizens of Kasaragod Taluk and it used to try petty criminal cases. The cases involving money value up to Rs. 100/- used to be disposed of by village court. The village officers who used to be called potails, were entrusted with the said jurisdiction and in that context they used to be called as village Munsiff. The village courts used to be governed by the village court’s Act ceased to function after 1945.

A subordinate Judge’s Court was established in the wake of the state Re-organisation in January 1957. After Hosdurg was made an indipendent Taluk. In 1949, a Munsiff;s Court was also established having jurisdiction in the present Hosdurg Taluk. For the administration of Criminal Justice, originally a II Class Magistrate’s Court was established in Hosdurg also, Later on, it was made in to a I class Magistrate’s Court. Subsequently the II Class Magistrate’s Court in Kasaragod was upgraded as I class Magistrate’s Court considering the load of work, the Kasaragod Subordinate Judge’s Court use to have an Additional Sub Court and the Silver Jubilee of the Sub Court were celebrated at Kasaragod in the year 1982.

After the formation of Kasaragod District, the District and Sessions Court was established in 1986. A sub ordinate Judge’s Court was established in 1986. A Subordinate Judge’s Court was established in Hosdurg, a Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court for the entire Kasaragod District in 1986. In 1991, for the entire Kasaragod District in 1986. In 1991, the power of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal was conferred on the District and Sessions Court, Kasaragod. The entire Civil and Criminal Courts at Kasaragod were shifted functioning to the new court complex at Vidyanagar in the year 1999. Two additional district and Sessions Courts established under a Govt of India Scheme, called Additional District and Sessions Court (Ad-hoc I & II), were started functioning in the new court complex premises at Kasaragod in 2002. We hope to have a regular MACT and Family Court at Kasaragod shortly as out rightful claim.

Many stalwarts presided over the destinies of the various disputes that came for decision in these Courts. Many giants of the Bar contributed their legal acumen and persuasiveness of an efficient dispensation of Justice..