# SC judge flags Karnataka HC amendment, urges legal aid for women 2026-08-08T11:01:03+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Supreme Court judge Justice B V Nagarathna on Saturday advocated for legal aid to women immediately after an incident, at police stations or hospitals. Speaking at a conference in Bengaluru, she flagged recent Karnataka amendments that have reduced the High Court's jurisdiction over first appeals, calling this a disadvantage for women. She cited NCRB data showing 4,41,534 crimes against women in 2024 and a conviction rate of one in five. Justice Nagarathna also noted that 4,14,795 women availed legal aid between April 2025 and March 2026, and urged a study on the Nirbhaya Fund's utilisation. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: criminal justice, Karnataka HC, legal aid, Nirbhaya Fund, Supreme Court, women’s rights Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sc-judge-flags-karnataka-hc-amendment-urges-legal-aid-for-women/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sc-judge-flags-karnataka-hc-amendment-urges-legal-aid-for-women/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.