'Ill-informed, personal vested interests': CJI Kant lays court complex foundation amid Assam lawyers’ protest

• Foundation stone laid for new Integrated Judicial Court Complex in Kamrup, Assam
• GHCBA lawyers protest Gauhati High Court relocation over accessibility concerns
• New bridge over Brahmaputra expected to reduce travel time to new court complex

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The foundation stone for a proposed Integrated Judicial Court Complex in Assam’s Kamrup district was laid on Sunday, even as protests by a section of lawyers continued against shifting the Gauhati High Court from its present location in Guwahati. The event was attended by top judicial and political figures, but members of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) stayed away, pressing on their opposition to the relocation plan.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, addressing the gathering, expressed surprise over the resistance from the bar body and said the need to look beyond individual concerns when planning judicial infrastructure for the future.

‘Personal vested interests', remarks CJI

Speaking at the ceremony, the CJI said he was taken aback on learning that the GHCBA was opposing the integrated complex, which is also meant to house the Gauhati High Court.

“Those opposing the new court complex are either ill-informed or not realising the needs of new members of the bar. Personal vested interests should not be valid grounds for opposing development of infrastructure for the future,” he said.

Justice Kant said that, as the head of the judiciary, his responsibility extends to those entering the legal profession and to ensuring facilities that match evolving demands. He described the project as one designed to “match the aspirations of the future” and said the chosen site was “strategically positioned” to bring all judicial services under one roof.

Lawyers’ hunger strike

The GHCBA has been consistently opposing the proposal to shift the high court from its present premises in central Guwahati to Rangmahal in North Guwahati. The association has cited accessibility issues, infrastructure concerns and an alleged lack of consultation with stakeholders as key reasons for its protest.

On Sunday, members of the association staged a four-hour hunger strike from 10 am in front of the existing high court building. Similar protests were held on Thursday and Friday as well.

“We are completely against shifting the high court from the present location, which is the heart of the city. None of our members will attend the function,” GHCBA vice president Santanu Borthakur told news agency PTI.

He added that legal options were being considered. “We are thinking of challenging this in court. Our executive committee will meet within the next few days and decide the future course of action,” he said.

Senior judges stress future needs

Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta, during whose tenure as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court the relocation decision was taken, expressed disappointment over the absence of some lawyers at the foundation ceremony.

He said the new complex would particularly benefit younger members of the bar by offering dedicated facilities that the current setup may not be able to provide.

Another Supreme Court judge, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, sought to reassure the protesting lawyers, stating that their interests would not be harmed. “Judiciary needs space, literally and metaphorically. Let us join hands for the new infrastructure,” he said, adding that nothing “which is ‘slightest detrimental’” to lawyers’ interests would be undertaken.

Mediation over confrontation

While acknowledging the scale of pending cases across the country, the CJI pointed out that better infrastructure alone would not resolve the issue of delays. He advocated for alternative methods of dispute resolution.

He pitched for mediation and structured dialogue, saying these approaches should not be viewed as compromises but as effective tools that could reduce confrontational litigation and ease the burden on courts.

State government’s stand and connectivity argument

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed concerns raised by protesting lawyers, particularly regarding travel time to the new location. He said these arguments would lose relevance once a new bridge over the Brahmaputra is inaugurated next month.

“A section of lawyers is opposing the new complex. In a democracy, a government should respect all opposition. But, their main contention that it will take two hours to reach the new site will not hold ground after the Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge over the Brahmaputra is inaugurated by the Prime Minister in February,” Sarma said.

According to the chief minister, the commute from the Dighalipukhuri area, near the current high court location, to Rangmahal would then take approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Scale and cost of the project

Officials said the new judicial complex is envisioned as a modern judicial city spread across 148 bighas, or around 49 acres. Phase I of the project alone is estimated to cost about Rs 479 crore.

The complex will house the principal seat of the Gauhati High Court, district court buildings, office spaces, and bar association facilities. Parking provisions include space for around 900 cars and 400 two-wheelers.

The chief minister stated that the overall expenditure by the state government on the project would be close to Rs 1,700 crore.

Present High Court and redevelopment plans

The Gauhati High Court currently operates from the Uzan Bazar area of central Guwahati, located on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. The premises include a historic structure as well as a recently inaugurated modern multi-storey building.

Both buildings face each other and are connected through an underground tunnel equipped with escalators.

The state government plans to redevelop the Brahmaputra riverfront and has indicated that the high court land is required for this purpose. A new convention centre is also being constructed adjacent to the old high court complex along the riverbank.

Meanwhile, Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia has criticised the GHCBA’s agitation, alleging that there was a “nexus with political parties” behind the protest.a