Gujarat Advocate General (AG) Kamal Trivedi on Monday told the Gujarat High Court that the Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026 would not be signed by the Governor and that the State government would try to restore the original law.
AG Trivedi made the submissions before a Bench of Justice Maulik J Shelat while informing the Court about a meeting held with the Deputy Chief Minister and members of the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG), who are on strike over the Bill. He revealed that the government had given the lawyers an assurance regarding the Gujarat Rent Bill.
“We gave a promise that this Bill will not be signed by the honourable Governor. This will not see the light of the day...We will try to see that original Act is restored back,” said AG Trivedi.
The submissions came amid a two-day abstention from court work by lawyers across Gujarat over provisions of the Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026, which seeks to transfer the adjudication of rent-related disputes from courts to revenue authorities.
Lawyers practising before the city civil and small causes courts in Ahmedabad had been protesting the Bill since last week. The BCG subsequently extended its support to the protest and resolved that lawyers across Gujarat would abstain from proceedings before courts, tribunals, judicial and quasi-judicial authorities and revenue forums from October 5, until a satisfactory resolution of the issue.
During the proceedings today, AG Trivedi explained that the assurances regarding the Bill had been conveyed to the Bar in an effort to ensure that the strike did not continue.
“So all the lawyers should see that no work is struck. This was conveyed to lawyers across the state,” he said.
He also told the Court that he had personally spoken to the president of the Bar association on Monday morning and had requested him to call off the strike.
However, despite the assurances, the strike had not been called off. The Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association (GHCAA) on Monday resolved to abstain from court work on October 5 and 6 in solidarity with lawyers protesting provisions of the Rent Bill.
Justice Shelat then observed that some development appeared to have taken place overnight and that the change in position would have been communicated to the lawyers.
AG Trivedi said that he had tried to convey the government's position to the lawyers.
Taking note of this, Justice Shelat responded that the sentiments of the Bar also had to be taken into account.
“The sentiment of everyone should be respected in that way because nowadays it's very difficult to manage the Bar,” said Justice Shelat.