Gauhati High Court Bar opposes relocation plan as 1,164 lawyers vote against move

Guwahati, Dec 13: The Gauhati High Court Bar Association on Friday conducted a referendum on the shifting of the high court to North Guwahati, and an overwhelming number of voters were against the move.

Altogether 1,164 votes were polled against the shifting proposal, while 154 were in favour of the shifting of the court to Rangmahal in North Guwahati.

NOTA votes numbered 27 and 13 were cancelled, according to the results declared by Returning Officer Parag Jyoti Saikia. A total of 1,358 votes were cast.

The Gauhati High Court Bar Association has been protesting against the proposed shifting of the Gauhati High Court (Principal Seat) to Rangmahal, North Guwahati.

The State government has acquired 100 bighas of land in North Guwahati for the construction of the new high court building.

Opposition to the shifting of courts in Guwahati has been mounting over the past several weeks. The referendum came amid growing dissent within the legal community over the state government’s proposal to move the Principal Seat of the High Court across the Brahmaputra to Rangmahal.

Earlier in November, members of the Lawyers Association, Guwahati, had staged a protest march opposing the temporary shifting of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Kamrup (M) Court to the General Administration Department (GAD) building, terming the move inconvenient for litigants and advocates.

Notably, the protests intensified after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Nov 9 announced that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is likely to lay the foundation stone for the new Gauhati High Court judicial complex at Rangmahal in North Guwahati in January 2026.