Gujarat Advocate General Kamal Trivedi confirmed on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, that the state government is actively considering suggestions from the legal fraternity on the Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026, and is exploring possible amendments before deciding on the next course of action. The clarification comes amid a statewide lawyers' boycott that disrupted proceedings at the Gujarat High Court and subordinate courts on Monday.

What the Advocate General Said

Trivedi stated that the government is 'favourably considering to see that the anxiety of the lawyers' fraternity is taken care of.' He indicated that the administration was weighing suggestions from lawyers before taking any step, including possible changes to the legislation. Crucially, he clarified that remarks he made before the Gujarat High Court — to the effect that the Bill would not proceed in its present form — should not be read as a formal government commitment that the Governor would not sign it.

Trivedi explained that those remarks arose from a general conversation after the court sought to understand why lawyers were on strike, and were not formally recorded by the court as a government statement.

Key Meeting With Deputy CM Sanghavi

According to Trivedi, a meeting was held on Sunday in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and members of the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG). Members reportedly agreed that the state government is open to considering their concerns. A further meeting with ministers and officials was scheduled for Tuesday.

Trivedi said that all members present at the 4 October meeting had agreed to await the government's response. He also disclosed that he personally requested Senior Advocate Yatin Oza, President of the Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association, not to proceed with the boycott — a request that was ultimately not heeded. 'That is unfortunate. My only way of telling was that the strike should not have been there,' Trivedi said.

Core Dispute: Judicial vs Administrative Jurisdiction

The Gujarat Rent Bill, 2026, passed by the state Legislative Assembly on 11 September 2026, seeks to replace the Gujarat Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947. Under the proposed framework, rent-related disputes would shift from the existing Small Causes Court mechanism to designated rent authorities and rent courts, with appeals heard by Rent Tribunals led by District Judges or Additional District Judges.

Lawyers' principal objection centres on this transfer of adjudicatory power. 'Their basic issues are that we don't want to go before the revenue authorities,' Trivedi said, summarising the fraternity's position. The BCG has argued that matters involving evidence and judicial determination should remain within the court system, and that the change would adversely affect lawyers, litigants, and the public at large.

Possible Way Forward

Trivedi signalled that the government has not closed the door on a substantive rethink. 'The government can think of coming out with an old law with some more improvements,' he said, suggesting a possible reversion to a revised version of the existing framework rather than the wholesale replacement envisaged by the new Bill.

The Gujarat High Court Advocates' Association announced a two-day boycott on 5 and 6 October, following earlier protests by several bar associations across the state. The standoff marks a rare and sustained confrontation between the legal community and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government over the scope of judicial jurisdiction in tenancy matters.

What Happens Next

All eyes are on the follow-up ministerial meeting slated for Tuesday and whether it produces a concrete offer — such as a formal amendment restoring Small Causes Court jurisdiction — that can bring lawyers back to work. Until a formal commitment is tabled, the boycott threat remains live, and court functioning in the state stays disrupted.