Lawyers' Strike Enters Second Day In Gujarat; Court Work Hit Over Rent Bill, Bike Rally Planned
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The protest by lawyers against the Gujarat Rent Bill-2026 entered its second day on Thursday, with advocates staying away from court proceedings in Ahmedabad and several other parts of Gujarat, affecting regular court operations.
Lawyers have opposed provisions of the new rent legislation and are demanding its withdrawal or changes to provisions they say could reduce the role of the judiciary in rent-related disputes.
Lawyers Boycott Court Proceedings
In Ahmedabad, lawyers abstained from proceedings at several courts, including the Bhadra City Civil and Sessions Court, Small Causes Court, Family Court, Ahmedabad Rural Court and other forums.
The protest follows a decision by the Ahmedabad Bar Association and Ahmedabad Small Cause Court Bar Association, along with support from other bar associations, to suspend court work as part of their agitation against the Rent Bill.
At Bhadra, lawyers had also blocked access to the court complex during the first day of the protest, according to reports.
The agitation has also spread to lawyers' associations in other parts of Gujarat, with advocates in several districts and talukas staying away from proceedings and holding demonstrations.
Opposition Centres On Rent Bill
The protesting lawyers have raised concerns over provisions that alter the existing system for dealing with rent-related disputes.
They argue that the legislation shifts important functions from the judicial system towards administrative authorities, which they fear could affect access to timely justice.
The government-backed legislation provides a new framework for resolving landlord-tenant disputes, including a system involving Rent Authorities, Rent Courts and Rent Tribunals.
The lawyers are demanding withdrawal of the legislation or changes to provisions they have objected to.
Slogans And Banners At Courts
On the second day of the agitation, lawyers staged demonstrations at various locations, raising slogans and displaying banners against the legislation.
The protests have involved advocates from district and taluka-level associations as well as those in Ahmedabad.
With court work being affected, the agitation has emerged as a wider legal-community protest rather than being confined to the city's major courts.
Bike Rally Planned On Gandhi Jayanti
The Ahmedabad Bar Association and Small Causes Court Bar Association have planned a bike rally on Friday, October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.
The rally is scheduled to begin from the Bhadra City Civil and Sessions Court.
According to the announced route, lawyers will travel through Apna Bazar, Sardar Baug and Rupali Talkies before crossing Nehru Bridge and proceeding along Ashram Road.
The rally will culminate near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Income Tax crossroads, where a public meeting is scheduled to be held.
Lawyers Warn Of Intensified Agitation
The protesting lawyers have indicated that the agitation could be intensified if the government does not respond to their demands.
The bar associations had earlier announced a period of court abstention and warned of further programmes, including demonstrations and other forms of protest.
The immediate focus remains on the demand for withdrawal or modification of the Gujarat Rent Bill-2026, while the government faces continuing pressure from sections of the legal fraternity over the proposed changes to the rent-dispute mechanism.
