Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma resigns from the High Court Bar Association of Gaohati during court relocation
The GHCBA has been opposed to the move of the High Court Complex to Lanmahar on the north shore of Brahmaputra, with its existing address in the city center.
Last month, Assam advocate Devajit Saikia sought to cancel his membership from the Gauhati High Court Bar Association.
“To avoid any such situation, I seriously ask you to immediately disqualify my Gauhati High Court Bar Association. Please immediately consider it my resignation letter and I also submit it in greater interest and the interests of future generations of lawyers in order to express the overall improvement of the judicial delivery system”.
Several members of the Lawyer Committee claimed that the decision to change the court premises was a one-sided decision, “Relocation to remote areas without proper infrastructure would greatly hinder the efficiency of legal proceedings and adversely affect litigation and legal professionals. Salma told reporters in the Goal. The Goal High Court rejected claims by some members of the Lawyers Association of the Goal, who claimed that the ruling on the relocation of the Goal High Court was single-unilaterally adopted without consultation.
The Gaohati High Court recently addressed the spread of misinformation regarding the court’s proposal to relocate and establish a judicial township in a statement.
Some members of the Bar Association claimed that a secret decision was made to change the High Court opaquely. The High Court clarified that discussions on infrastructure expansion began in 2022 when a proposal was made to include all courts on one campus to improve judicial efficiency.
The Gohati High Court Bar Association has passed a resolution that recommends the merger of the courts into one campus. To this end, the entire court of the Gohati High Court (consisting of the Chief Justice and other judges) decided to explore the options of modern judicial infrastructure to accommodate an increasing number of judges, lawyers and litigants. The decision is designed to simplify legal processes and provide state-of-the-art facilities under one roof.
Under this resolution, the High Court requested the Assam government to allocate appropriate land to the proposed judicial town. Therefore, on June 2, 2023, the government issued a notice to facilitate the process. Then, a high committee was formed by a notice dated 15 June 2023. The committee includes two Gaohati High Court judges, Assam advocates, chief secretary and other senior officials. The commission’s mandate is to determine the feasible locations for the proposed judicial town. After evaluating multiple locations, the Commission recommended 128 planks in Rangmahal, North Guwahati, due to its accessibility and proximity to the ongoing bridge construction in Brahmaputra.
The report was submitted to the entire court on October 18, 2023, and then asked the government to speed up the land acquisition process. However, the High Court stressed that as the land acquisition process is still underway, no formal decision has been made on the timetable for relocation of the High Court.
The statement dismissed the claim, and the Chief Justice and a current judge met with the Chief Minister in secret to finalize the relocation plan. The High Court clarified that land acquisition of judicial infrastructure is an administrative function and does not require prior consultation with the bar association. It asserted that several formal and informal meetings were held with the Bar Association to discuss the proposal, but no constructive suggestions were received except for boycotts based on “consideration considerations.”
The statement raised allegations about a meeting between Chief Justice Suman Shyam and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 8 March 2025. It clarified that the meeting had nothing to do with the Justice Town, but focused on the appointment of judicial officers, funding from paperless courts, and the infrastructure of the Justice Academy. Given the participation of multiple officials and the selection of meeting venues, the state hotel in Koinadhora is based on logistical considerations. The High Court reiterated its commitment to modernizing judicial infrastructure in Assam.
The statement reaffirmed the final ruling while stressing the aim of improving judicial access and efficiency. It called for an end to the misunderstanding campaign to erode public confidence in the judiciary and stressed that any further objection should be based on constructive discussions rather than baseless allegations. As the land acquisition process continues, the High Court assured that all steps will be ensured through due diligence to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders, including the Legal Brotherhood and the public.
