After confusion reigned as to who will assume the top post of the Gujarat High Court, the Central government has now issued a clarificatory notification appointing Justice Akil Kureshi as Acting Chief Justice.

The notification states that Justice Kureshi will serve as Acting Chief Justice consequent upon the elevation of Chief Justice Subhash Reddy to the Supreme Court.

As per a notification issued yesterday, Justice AS Dave, currently the second senior-most judge of the Gujarat High Court, was appointed to take over as Acting Chief Justice of the High Court. Also notified yesterday was Justice Akil Kureshi’s transfer to the Bombay High Court, where he is expected to take charge “on or before November 15”.

However, according to Senior Advocate and President of the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association Yatin Oza, the Supreme Court Collegium intended for Justice Kureshi to serve as Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court before his transfer to Bombay. According to him, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi wrote a letter to the Centre to this effect.

And the Centre has now obliged. It now appears that Justice Kureshi will serve as Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court until he assumes charge at the Bombay High Court.

Meanwhile, lawyers in Gujarat are observing an indefinite strike in protest of Justice Kureshi’s imminent transfer to the Bombay High Court. A petition challenging the same is likely to be filed in the Gujarat High Court.

Read the notification: