Senior advocate submits petition seeking Gauhati High Court bench in Barak Valley

A Silchar-based senior advocate has submitted a petition to top constitutional authorities, seeking the establishment of a Circuit Bench or a Permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court in the Barak Valley to improve access to justice for residents of the region.

Sources said the seven-page memorandum was sent by post on January 12 by senior advocate Dharmananda Deb. The petition was addressed to the Chief Minister of Assam, the Union Minister for Law and Justice, the Chief Justice of India, the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, the Governor of Assam, and the Cabinet Minister of the Barak Valley Development Department.

According to the petition, the principal seat of the Gauhati High Court in Guwahati is nearly 350 kilometres away from the Barak Valley, posing serious challenges for litigants. During the monsoon season, frequent floods and landslides disrupt road and rail connectivity, making travel to Guwahati difficult, particularly for the elderly, sick, poor, and marginalised sections of society.

The memorandum states that the distance and communication difficulties discourage many residents from filing writ petitions, public interest litigations (PILs), or seeking urgent constitutional remedies, thereby affecting their constitutional right to justice under Articles 14 and 21.

Advocate Deb recalled that similar proposals were not accepted by the Gauhati High Court administration in 2014 and 2015. However, he noted that more than a decade has passed since then, during which the Barak Valley has seen population growth and a substantial rise in both the volume and complexity of legal cases.

The petition also referred to administrative developments such as the establishment of a Mini Secretariat and the formation of the Barak Valley Development Department, which reflect increasing decentralisation. Despite these changes, the memorandum said, distance from Guwahati and inadequate connectivity continue to remain major obstacles to accessing justice.

The advocate argued that setting up a Circuit Bench or Permanent Bench in the Barak Valley would reduce hardship for litigants, ensure faster disposal of cases, and reduce the burden on the principal bench in Guwahati. The move, he said, would also strengthen the implementation of Article 39A of the Constitution, which provides for equal access to justice.