Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) has written to Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, requesting the transfer of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal, citing severe delays in case filings that are affecting lawyers and litigants.

In their letter, GHCAA President Brijesh Trivedi stated, “We request your Lordship to consider transferring the current Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court to another High Court, as problems escalated only after her elevation. The main sufferers are litigants and advocates, particularly junior members of the Bar.”

The issue arose after a September 15 directive from the High Court Registrar (Judicial) barred overwriting, interpolation, or corrections in petitions without initials from the petitioner or notary. Minor corrections could only be made via draft amendments, subject to approval by the Registrar.

According to GHCAA, these measures have caused significant backlogs, with thousands of matters pending and many original files reportedly lost. Advocates are reportedly struggling even to obtain filing numbers, preventing urgent matters such as bail applications and civil petitions from being registered ahead of the Diwali vacation starting October 17.

The Bar association said attempts to resolve the matter directly with Chief Justice Agarwal and a committee of senior judges failed to produce results. GHCAA has now requested a personal audience with the CJI to address the issue, warning that the current procedures are stalling all new filings in the High Court. DeshGujarat