CJI DY Chandrachud agrees to meet Gujarat lawyers' delegation over transfer row of Justice Nikhil S Kariel

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjay Chandrachud has agreed to meet striking lawyers of the Gujarat High Court, who are protesting the proposed transfer of Justice Nikhil S Kariel to Patna High Court..Senior Advocate Asim Pandya of the Gujarat High Court confirmed the same to Bar & Bench and said the CJI would meet a delegation of the lawyers on Saturday morning."CJI has finally given us an appointment to meet. He will meet us tomorrow (Saturday) morning," Pandya confirmed. Pandya, the former president of Gujarat High Court Advocates Associatio (GHCAA) further informed that a delegation of four senior advocates and three committee members of the GHCAA would be flying to Delhi to meet the CJI. However, the Bar is yet to finalise the names of who would be part of this delegation to meet the CJI..The GHCAA has been staging a protest since Thursday after the news regarding the transfer of Justice Kariel to Patna High Court was reported by the media.During the morning session of the Court yesterday, over 300 advocates had gathered in the court hall of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar of the Gujarat High Court to mourn, what they called as the death of independence of judiciary.The GHCAA hadsubsequently resolved to abstain from work indefinitely till the Supreme Court Collegium reconsiders its decision to transfer Justice Kariel."It is reiterated that the transfer of such honest and upright Judge for which the entire Bar is vouching in one voice is not in right taste and is being strongly opposed as it strikes at the Rule of Law and Independence of Judiciary which are two prime edifice on which our Constitution rests. It is also resolved that the delegation may convey the feeling of the Bar to all concerned including CJI and other Judges of the collegium," the resolution stated..On Friday morning, when the judges of the High Court entered their respective court halls, they were welcomed by empty courtrooms, with hardly few litigants or parties-in-person present.Chief Justice Kumar's courtroom, which is usually jam-packed, also wore a deserted look.Similar scenes could be seen in almost all the courtrooms of the Gujarat High Court. While some judges sat for a few minutes, some just walked off within seconds of presiding the court.Pertinently, around nine courts did not even commence their livestreaming..Even Justice Kariel, who was unwell, witnessed an empty court hall and asked a litigant, who was present in the court why there was no one present. The litigant informed him that every one is on strike. Hearing this, the judge too left the courtroom.