14 lawyers take oath as judges of the Bombay HC, total strength reaches 82 ‘highest’ in recent years
On August 19, the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai, recommended 14 lawyers for appointment as additional judges of the Bombay High Court
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The Bombay HC is the second largest in the country after the Allahabad High Court. (Source: File)Nearly a week after the Centre cleared their names, 14 lawyers were sworn in as judges of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday. With their appointment, the HC will now function with 82 judges, the highest in recent years, against a sanctioned strength of 94.
Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrasekhar administered the oath of office. The Bombay HC is the second largest in the country after the Allahabad High Court.
“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint S/Shri (i) Siddheshwar Sundarrao Thombre, (ii) Mehroz Ashraf Khan Pathan, (iii) Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale, (iv) Nandesh Shankarrao Deshpande, (v) Amit Satyavan Jamsandekar, (vi) Ashish Sahadev Chavan, (vii) Sandesh Dadasaheb Patil, (viii) Smt. Vaishali Nimbajirao Patil-Jadhav, (ix) Abasaheb Dharmaji Shinde, (x) Shreeram Vinayak Shirsat, (xi) Hiten Shamrao Venegavkar, (xii) Farhan Parvez Dubash, (dii) Rajnish Ratnakar Vyas and (idv) Raj Damodar Wakode, to be Additional Judges of the Bombay High Court for a period of two years with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices,” the Centre’s notification of August 27 stated.
On August 19, the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai, recommended 14 lawyers for appointment as additional judges of the Bombay High Court. Sources said CJI Gavai recused himself from discussions where he had a direct or indirect interest.
Among those elevated is Advocate Wakode, described by a Nagpur-based lawyer as a “distant relative” of CJI Gavai. Advocate Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale, son of the late Barrister Raja Bhonsale – former Advocate General of Maharashtra and judge of the Bombay HC – has also been appointed. CJI Gavai had worked in Barrister Bhonsale’s chambers after completing his law studies, till 1987. Advocate Pathan, who was a junior to Justice Gavai during his practice, is among the appointees as well.
The list further includes Deputy Solicitor General Nandesh Deshpande, Chief Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegavkar, advocates Sandesh Patil, Shreeram Shirsat, Ashish Chavan, all of whom have represented the Centre or the state government in recent years, and Farhan Dubash, secretary of the Bombay Bar Association.
Besides the principal seat in Mumbai, the Bombay HC has benches in Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Goa, and a recently added circuit bench at Kolhapur.
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