On Tuesday, the Gujarat High Court urged a junior lawyer to argue a case himself rather than seeking an adjournment due to the unavailability of his senior counsel. In the case of Becharbhai Dhanrajbhai Anjana & Ors. v State of Gujarat & Ors., Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal encouraged the junior lawyer to take on the case, asserting that such opportunities are crucial for young lawyers' development.
Chief Justice Agarwal emphasized that junior lawyers should seize these chances, even if it means facing the court alone. She remarked, "You can always tell your senior that the 'Court was not listening to me, I had to argue, I had no option.' This is how young lawyers gain experience in court."
The Chief Justice, who was sitting alongside Justice Pranav Trivedi, expressed her disapproval of continual adjournments, noting that the case had been pending since 2013 and the underlying writ petition dates back to 2001, making it over 23 years old.
When Advocate Abhijeet Rathod appeared before the bench to request a deferment, citing the absence of his senior, the court was initially resistant to granting an adjournment. Rathod proposed he would argue the case himself the following day if the designated counsel, Advocate Nayak, was unavailable.
The court eventually agreed to the adjournment request, scheduling the next hearing for Wednesday afternoon. Chief Justice Agarwal insisted that Rathod should present the case on that day, with support from the senior lawyer if needed. Despite Nayak’s request for a longer adjournment, the court maintained that Rathod would argue the case.
Chief Justice Agarwal reinforced her position by stating, "If the junior lawyer takes more time, that's fine. He will get the chance to argue and gain experience. This is essential for his growth."
The case is scheduled to be heard again today at 2:30 PM.
TAGS: Gujarat High Court junior lawyer argument opportunity adjournment request Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal senior counsel case delay litigation experience Advocate Abhijeet Rathod Becharbhai Dhanrajbhai Anjana v State of Gujarat.
