Justice Shree Chandrashekhar Sworn In as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court

MUMBAI, India – Justice Shree Chandrashekhar was formally sworn in as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on Friday, September 5, 2025, marking a significant leadership transition for one of India's most prominent and busiest judicial institutions. The oath of office was administered by Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at a formal ceremony held in the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan.

The event was attended by a host of distinguished guests, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, and senior members of the judiciary from the Bombay, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Allahabad High Courts. The appointment solidifies Justice Chandrashekhar's position, who had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice following the elevation of his predecessor, Justice Alok Aradhe, to the Supreme Court.

This appointment places a seasoned jurist with a rich and diverse legal background at the helm of a court with jurisdiction over the crucial states of Maharashtra and Goa. His tenure will be closely observed by the legal fraternity as he navigates a docket filled with high-stakes commercial, constitutional, and public interest litigation.

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The Constitutional Path to Appointment

The journey to Justice Chandrashekhar's appointment followed the established constitutional procedure for judicial elevations. The process commenced with a formal recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium at its meeting on August 25, 2025. The Collegium, the primary body for judicial appointments and transfers in India's higher judiciary, proposed Justice Chandrashekhar, whose parent High Court is Jharkhand, for the chief justiceship of the Bombay High Court.

Following the Collegium's recommendation, the Union Government gave its assent. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal confirmed the appointment via a post on the social media platform X. The formal notification from the Union Ministry of Law and Justice articulated the constitutional authority for the move.

"In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Judge of the Bombay High Court to be Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office," the official notification stated.

This process underscores the collaborative, yet often debated, mechanism of judicial appointments in India, which involves both the judiciary's internal recommendation system and the executive's final approval as stipulated by the Constitution.

A Distinguished Career: From Bar to Bench

Born on May 25, 1965, Chief Justice Chandrashekhar's legal career is marked by nearly two decades of extensive litigation practice before his elevation to the judiciary. After earning his LL.B. from the prestigious Campus Law Centre at the University of Delhi, he enrolled with the Delhi State Bar Council in 1993.

is career as an advocate was exceptionally active, part cularly before the Supreme Court of India. According to official records, he argued approximately 3,500 cases, developing profound expertise in constitutional, service, and criminal law. His name is associated as counsel in nearly 140 reported judgments of the Supreme Court, a testament to his significant presence at the apex court.

His practice was not limited to private litigation. Justice Chandrashekhar served as standing counsel for several key governmental and regulatory bodies, including:

* The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

* The State of Jharkhand

* The Bihar State Housing Board

* The Jharkhand State Electricity Board * The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

This extensive experience in representing a wide array of institutional clients provided him with a unique perspective on administrative law and the functioning of the state, a background that has undoubtedly informed his judicial philosophy.

Judicial Trajectory and Elevation

Justice Chandrashekhar's judicial career began with his appointment as an Additional Judge of the Jharkhand High Court in January 2013. He was made a permanent judge in June 2014. Over the next decade, he established a reputation for his judicial acumen in Jharkhand, culminating in his appointment as the Acting Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court on December 29, 2023.

His transfer to the Bombay High Court as a puisne judge in July 2025 was a significant step, positioning him within one of the country's chartered high courts. He quickly assumed the role of Acting Chief Justice upon the vacancy created by Justice Aradhe's move to the Supreme Court, a responsibility he held until his permanent appointment. This rapid progression within the Bombay High Court reflects the confidence placed in his administrative and judicial capabilities by the Collegium.

Leading India's Second-Largest High Court

As Chief Justice, he inherits the leadership of India’s second-largest High Court by sanctioned judge strength. The Bombay High Court is not only a court of immense historical significance but also a critical forum for resolving some of the nation's most complex and high-profile legal disputes, particularly those originating from Mumbai, the financial capital of India.

The court's docket routinely includes major corporate law battles, intricate financial crime cases, and pivotal constitutional questions. The Chief Justice, as the 'master of the roster,' bears the administrative responsibility for constituting benches, allocating cases, and ensuring the efficient functioning of the court across its principal seat in Mumbai and benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Goa.

Chief Justice Chandrashekhar's leadership will be instrumental in addressing challenges such as judicial backlogs, integrating technology for greater efficiency, and maintaining the court's legacy of robust judicial independence. His extensive background as a litigator in the Supreme Court is expected to bring a sharp, practice-oriented perspective to the management of a court with such a diverse and demanding caseload. His tenure begins at a time of increasing public scrutiny of the judiciary, where expectations for transparency, accountability, and swift justice are higher than ever. The legal community will look to his leadership for direction, reform, and the continued upholding of the rule of law.