Former Gujarat HC judge B A Vaishnav takes charge as state’s new Lokayukta

The appointment assumes significance as the Lokayukta institution plays a key role in probing corruption complaints and ensuring accountability in public administration. Gujarat has witnessed repeated vacancies in the post over the years. Before the appointment of former Lokayukta Justice R H Shukla in June 2020, the office had remained vacant for nearly 18 months after the tenure of Justice D P Buch ended in December 2018. Prior to Buch’s appointment in 2013, Gujarat had gone almost a decade without a Lokayukta.

Justice Vaishnav brings with him extensive judicial experience from the Gujarat High Court, where he handled several significant matters involving constitutional law, service disputes, labour issues, education law and criminal justice. He was part of several important rulings concerning Shikshan Sahayak and Vidyasahayak teachers in Gujarat, including disputes relating to recruitment, seniority and pay parity in government and grant-in-aid schools.

In criminal jurisprudence, his bench delivered notable orders in bail matters under special laws, including petitions challenging the validity of the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Act (GujCTOC), where Justice Biren’s bench repeatedly emphasised on the constitutional right to speedy trial under Article 21.

Justice Vaishnav had been elevated as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court in April 2016 and became a permanent judge in March 2018. He has also previously served as the Executive Chairman of the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA). During his farewell speech upon retirement from the High Court in June last year, Justice Vaishnav had reflected on the human dimension of judicial work. Thanking Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal for assigning him family court matters, he had said the experience made him understand “the humane side of conflicts which judges have to resolve.”

“These nine years as a judge have been challenging. The ride has been smooth at times and bumpy too on many occasions,” he had remarked, while also acknowledging the contribution of senior members of the Bar in shaping judicial discourse.

Born in New Delhi on May 22, 1963, Justice Vaishnav studied Economics at St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, and pursued law at Sir LA Shah Law College. He enrolled with the Bar Council of Gujarat in 1987 and practised in both civil and criminal matters.

Between 1991 and 1995, he represented the Gujarat government in service matters involving government employees before beginning independent practice. Over the years, he appeared for multiple statutory bodies, including the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), Gujarat Land Development Corporation, and Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) and also served as a Standing Counsel for the Election Commission of India from 1999 to 2016.