The Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association (GHCAA) on Monday resolved to abstain from court work on October 5 and 6 in solidarity with lawyers protesting provisions of the Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026.

The decision was taken at an Extraordinary General Body meeting held at Gate No. 2 of the Gujarat High Court. The meeting was chaired by GHCAA President and Senior Advocate Yatin Oza.

The GHCAA said the two-day abstention was in support of advocates practising before the City Civil Court and Small Causes Court and was also in line with a resolution passed by the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG).

The protest centres on provisions of the Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026, which proposes to transfer the adjudication of rent-related disputes from courts to revenue authorities. The Bill has been passed by the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and is currently awaiting the Governor's approval.

Under the proposed framework, authorities including Deputy Collectors and Additional Collectors would be empowered to hear and decide rent-related disputes.

Lawyers in Ahmedabad began protesting against the proposed changes last week. Advocates practising before the City Civil and Small Causes Courts had also abstained from work and blocked access to the Bhadra court complex as part of the agitation.

The Bar Council of Gujarat subsequently convened an Extraordinary General Body meeting on October 3 and extended its support to the protest. It resolved that lawyers across Gujarat would abstain from proceedings before courts, tribunals, judicial and quasi-judicial authorities and revenue forums from October 5 until the issue is satisfactorily resolved.

The BCG, in its resolution, expressed concern over the proposed transfer of powers from judicial authorities to administrative officials. It stated that the move could have an impact on lawyers, litigants and the general public, besides raising concerns about the workload of revenue officials and their ability to record and assess evidence in rent disputes.

BCG Chairman PD Patel told The Times of India that the proposed legislation would shift the adjudication of rent disputes from the judiciary to what he described as an already overburdened bureaucracy.

The Bar Council has sought a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the Law Minister, seeking amendments to the Bill to restore the power to adjudicate rent disputes to judicial authorities.

The GHCAA said its decision to abstain from court work for two days was aimed at expressing solidarity with advocates practising before the City Civil Court and Small Causes Court, who have been protesting against the proposed changes under the Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026.