Gujarat HC Advocates Call For Strike To Protest SC Collegium's Proposal To Transfer Justice A Kureshi [Read Resolution]

The Gujarat High Court Advocates Association has unanimously resolved to go on indefinite strike from tomorrow to protest the SC Collegium's recommendation to transfer Justice Akil Abduhamid Kureshi.

The unanimous Resolution terms the transfer recommendation "unwarranted, uncalled for and unjust" and states that the Bar "fails to discern any good reason for the same and believes that such transfer is unjustified and certainly has no connection with better administration of justice".

The Association unanimously endorsed the integrity, honesty, legal acumen and excellent court conduct and decorum of Justice A Kureshi. Deprecating the move to transfer him, the Association said "the Bar believes that the said action of transfer impinges upon independence of judiciary".

On October 31, the SC Collegium comprising CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice Kurian Joseph, Justice A K Sikri and Justice S A Bobde recommended the transfer of Justice Kureshi to Bombay High Court "in the interest of better administration of justice".  Justice Kureshi is the senior most puisne judge of Gujarat HC and he will be taking charge as number five judge in Bombay High Court.

The Resolution signed by GHCAA President Senior Advocate Yatin N Oza also signified the Association's intention to challenge the transfer proposal by way of a writ petition to be settled by five widely respected Senior Advocates Mihir Thakore, Saurabh Soparkar, Deven Parikh, Shalin Mehta and Rashesh Sanjalwala.

This is the first open reaction against a decision taken by the present Collegium headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Since the protest is helmed by widely respected senior advocates of the Gujarat Bar, with large support of other members of the Bar, the transfer proposal has come under a cloud.

Update : The Centre has notified the transfer of Justice Kureshi to Bombay High Court, as per notification uploaded around 8.15 PM today, accepting the Collegium recommendation. The notification may be read here