A general meeting of the Surat District Bar Association (SDBA), convened after a gap of two years, descended into chaos due to disagreements over appointments to the Surat District Bar Law Library. The meeting was ultimately adjourned without any decisions being made on the agenda items.
Meeting Agenda and Disputes
The meeting was called to address four key issues: appointments of members to the Bar Law Library, formation of a committee for the new court building at Magdalla, and a proposal to extend the SDBA term from one year to two years. However, heated arguments erupted over the process of suggesting names for the law library.
The SDBA secretary informed members that the principal district judge, who serves as the chairman of the Bar Law Library, had requested eight names for appointment to the library. During the discussion, Bar Law Library secretary Viral Mehta objected, alleging that the judge’s letter had been misinterpreted and that it only sought suggestions, not appointments.
Mehta told the meeting that the SDBA had no authority to appoint members to the library, which functions as an independent body with its own constitution. Several members alleged that office-bearers and library members had continued in their roles for nearly a decade without change. Calling for elections to the Bar Law Library, Mehta urged the SDBA not to politicize the issue. He stated, “You need to be a library member first to contest the election. Even SDBA president Uday Patel is not a member of the library and therefore cannot contest.”
Conflicting Views
On the other hand, Patel and other members alleged that a few individuals had controlled the library for years. Patel said, “All advocates are happy with the decision to hold elections for the library body. A few people were managing the library for years, whereas it should be democratically managed.”
As tempers flared, senior lawyers intervened to calm the situation. Senior advocate Jatin Gandhi suggested appointing an architect for the proposed new court building at Magdalla, who should work in coordination with a building committee formed by the SDBA to address advocates’ needs.
Outcome of the Meeting
Due to the ruckus, the meeting was adjourned without resolutions on any of the four agenda points. However, members broadly agreed that elections should be held for the Bar Law Library.
The Surat District Bar Law Library houses more than 6,000 books and provides online access to Supreme Court and high court judgments. The air-conditioned facility is regularly used by senior advocates, judicial officers, and students.
