The Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) has announced plans to stage a sit-in protest on June 27, Tuesday, opposing the proposal of the Assam government to relocate the High Court and other courts in and around Guwahati to a single site on the northern bank of the Brahmputra.
Mrinal Kumar Choudhury, the President of GHCBA, confirmed the protest, stating that it will be held from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. The demonstration aims to protest against the proposed relocation and the formation of a high-level committee to oversee the shifting process.
The GHCBA has also sent memoranda to the President of India, the Chief Justice of India, the Union Law Minister, and the Assam Chief Minister expressing their opposition to the relocation plan. The proposed site for the new "judicial city" is Rangmahal in North Guwahati.
Currently, there is a distance of approximately 25 km between the existing High Court building and the proposed site, which results in a commute of over an hour due to traffic conditions. However, a new bridge under construction is expected to reduce travel time by half.
The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, initially announced the draft plan for the relocation on April 14. A high-level committee was subsequently formed on May 23 to work out the details and inspect the site for the new judicial complex, which is intended to accommodate the Gauhati High Court, other judicial courts of the Kamrup area, and residential facilities for judges and staff.
The GHCBA has expressed concerns about the unilateral nature of the proposed move, highlighting uncertainties regarding the potential relocation of all lower courts in the Kamrup rural and metropolitan districts to the new site. Previously, these districts were part of a single district with Guwahati as its headquarters.
The association also raised concerns about the lack of existing infrastructure at the proposed site and the potential traffic congestion that would result from lawyers, litigants, and court staff converging at a single point to cross the bridge over the Brahmaputra River. They argued that this congestion would waste valuable time, fuel, and energy, affecting the efficiency of the judicial system and the environment. Furthermore, they emphasized the impact on young and female lawyers who would face time-consuming commutes to the new site, as well as the inconvenience for litigants.
The GHCBA questioned the decision-making process and expressed doubt about the independence and autonomy of the judiciary. They firmly opposed the relocation of the Gauhati High Court and other courts to Rangmahal.
Additionally, the association pointed out the potential negative impact on the functioning of lower courts, as people may be reluctant to spend their entire day traveling to and from the courts for the sake of others. They stressed that no bar association had made demands for such a relocation.
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TAGS: Gauhati High Court Bar Association sit-in protest proposed relocation Assam government courts Guwahati Brahmputra opposition high-level committee memorandum Chief Minister traffic congestion new bridge judicial city Rangmahal area infrastructure independence of judiciary young lawyers female lawyers time-consuming commute lower courts justice delivery.
