The Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association has announced an indefinite boycott of court work opposing the transfer of Justice Sandeep N Bhat to Madhya Pradesh. A senior delegation will approach the Supreme Court seeking revocation of the proposal.
Ahmedabad: On August 26, the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) has announced that its members will not attend court work indefinitely in protest against the proposed transfer of Justice Sandeep N Bhat from the Gujarat High Court to the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
According to sources, the Supreme Court Collegium is currently considering the transfer of as many as 14 High Court judges across the country.
Justice Sandeep N Bhat’s transfer is part of this list. At present, the Collegium has not released any official public statement regarding the proposed transfers. However, sources familiar with the matter said that
“only some minor formalities are pending before the list of proposed transfers is sent to the Union government in a day or two for confirmation.”
The news about the Collegium’s deliberations caused immediate concern among members of the legal fraternity in Gujarat. Soon after this development was reported, the GHCAA convened an Extraordinary General Body Meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the issue.
During the meeting, the lawyers strongly opposed the proposed transfer of Justice Bhat. After discussions, the association collectively decided to abstain from court work indefinitely.
Along with the boycott decision, the association also resolved to approach the Supreme Court directly by making a formal representation against the transfer.
As per the resolution, a senior delegation will be sent to Delhi to request the Collegium to revoke the proposal. The delegation will include GHCAA president Brijesh J Trivedi, Senior Advocates Mihir Joshi and Asim Pandya, and advocates Hardik Brahmbhatt and Dipen Dave.
The move by GHCAA is seen as a strong signal of dissatisfaction within the Gujarat legal community over the Collegium’s decision.
Lawyers believe that the transfer of Justice Sandeep N Bhat, who has been handling important matters at the Gujarat High Court, could impact the functioning of the court and affect the administration of justice.
With the indefinite abstention from work, court proceedings in Gujarat are likely to be disrupted until a resolution is found.
The representation to the Supreme Court by the GHCAA delegation will be closely watched, as it may influence the final decision of the Collegium and the Union government.
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