For over 75 years, the Gauhati High Court has stood as a silent sentinel on the banks of the Brahmaputra in Uzan Bazar. As the judicial heartbeat of the Northeast, it has served not just Assam, but also Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. However, today, this historic institution finds itself at the center of a stormy standoff between the legal fraternity and the state government.
The cause of the friction? A plan to move the High Court from its iconic city-center location to a new, sprawling "Judicial City" in Rangmahal, North Guwahati.
While the government and senior judiciary see this as a necessary step toward a "future-ready" legal system, the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) views it as a move that could dismantle a functional legal ecosystem and hurt access to justice.
Here is the full story of how this controversy started, what the arguments are, and where things stand today.
The seeds of this relocation were sown in early 2023. The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, proposed moving the High Court and several other judicial offices to a 148-bigha (approx. 49 acres) plot in Rangmahal.
The government’s logic was two-fold:
- Space Constraints: The current campus in Uzan Bazar is congested. With the number of lawyers, litigants, and staff growing every year, the authorities argued that there is no more room for expansion.
- Urban Planning: The government wants to develop the Brahmaputra Riverfront for tourism and urban renewal. Shifting the High Court would free up prime land for these projects.
In 2023, under the then-Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta, a Full Court resolution of the High Court reportedly approved the move. The project was envisioned as a state-of-the-art "Integrated Judicial Complex" costing roughly ₹1,700 crore.
As the plan moved from paper to reality, the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) raised a red flag. For the lawyers, the issue wasn't just about a new building—it was about accessibility and the existing legal culture.
In a formal referendum conducted in late 2025, the results were startling: over 1,300 lawyers voted against the shift, while only around 150 supported it.
The lawyers’ main concerns include:
- Accessibility: Rangmahal is across the river. Even with a new bridge coming up in February 2026, lawyers argue that the distance will make it harder for poor litigants to reach the court.
- A Lost Ecosystem: Over decades, an entire support system—lawyers' chambers, photocopy shops, stamp vendors, and clerical offices—has grown around the Uzan Bazar campus. Moving the court would force thousands of people to relocate or shut down.
- Cost vs. Necessity: The Bar suggests that instead of spending ₹1,700 crore on a new site, the government could expand the current campus vertically (adding more floors) or acquire smaller nearby plots.
The tension reached a boiling point in the first week of January 2026. When the state announced that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) would visit on January 11 to lay the foundation stone, the Bar Association decided to take a drastic step.
On January 8, 9, and 11, hundreds of lawyers wore black badges and sat on hunger strikes in front of the old High Court building. They also issued a formal resolution to boycott the foundation stone-laying ceremony.
For three days, the gates of the High Court saw a rare sight: senior and junior advocates sitting on the pavement in silent protest, while just across the river, preparations for a grand celebration were underway.
Despite the boycott by the Bar, the ceremony at Rangmahal went ahead yesterday. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant laid the foundation stone in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and several Supreme Court judges.
The CJI’s speech addressed the elephant in the room. He expressed "surprise" that the Bar was opposing a project meant for the future.
"Personal vested interests—only because you might have a good office near the old complex—should not be valid grounds to hamper the development of a modern-day infrastructure," the CJI stated. He emphasized that the legal system must look 50 years ahead, catering to the young lawyers who are yet to join the profession.
Chief Minister Sarma also addressed the connectivity issue. He assured that once the new Guwahati–North Guwahati bridge is inaugurated next month, the travel time from the city center to Rangmahal will be reduced to just 20–25 minutes.
As of today, January 12, the atmosphere remains tense. The foundation stone has been laid, but the Bar Association’s resolve hasn't weakened.
Recent Developments:
- The Boycott was Successful: Reports suggest that the vast majority of the GHCBA members followed the association's call and stayed away from the Rangmahal event.
- Potential Legal Battle: The GHCBA leadership has hinted that they may now challenge the government’s relocation decision in court. They argue that a "unilateral" decision without proper stakeholder consultation violates administrative fairness.
- Government Commitment: The state has already allocated ₹479 crore for the first phase of construction and expects the basic structure to be ready within 24 months.
The Gauhati High Court relocation row is a classic example of the "Development vs. Tradition" debate. On one side, the government and the senior judiciary are pushing for a modern, centralized "Judicial City" that mirrors systems in other advanced states. On the other side, the lawyers are fighting to preserve a central, accessible heritage that they believe serves the "common man" better.
With the foundation stone now firmly in the ground at Rangmahal, the project has officially begun. However, for the legal community in Guwahati, the fight for their "Dighalipukhuri home" is far from over.