Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association to abstain from court work for 2 days over Gujarat Rent Bill 2026

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 Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026.

The decision was taken at an Extraordinary General Body meeting held at Gate No. 2 of the Gujarat High Court on Monday morning. The meeting was chaired by the GHCAA President, Senior Advocate Yatin Oza.

The GHCAA said the decision was taken in support of lawyers practising before the City Civil Court and Small Causes Court and in line with a resolution passed by the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG).

The protest arose over certain provisions of the Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026, which seeks to shift the adjudication of rent-related disputes from courts to revenue authorities. The Bill has been passed by the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and is currently awaiting the Governor's approval.

The Bill provides for authorities, including Deputy Collectors and Additional Collectors, to hear and decide such disputes.

Lawyers across Ahmedabad had began protesting against the proposal last week. Notably, advocates at the City Civil and Small Causes Courts had abstained from work and blocked access to the Bhadra court complex as part of the protest.

The BCG subsequently convened an extraordinary general body meeting on October 3 and extended its support to the protest. It 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.

Additionally, the BCG's resolution said the transfer of the power to decide rent disputes from judicial to administrative authorities would affect lawyers, litigants and the public. It also expressed concerns over the workload of administrative officials and the process of recording and evaluating evidence in rent disputes.

BCG Chairman PD Patel told The Times of India that the government had transferred rent-dispute adjudication from the judiciary to what he described as an already overburdened bureaucracy.

The Council has sought a meeting with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Law Minister to press for amendments to the Bill to restore the power to decide rent disputes to judicial authorities.

The GHCAA said its two-day work abstention was intended to show solidarity with lawyers practising before the City Civil Court and Small Causes Court amid the ongoing protest against the Bill.

[Read Resolution]