“SC Collegium Recommends Justice Shree Chandrashekhar as Bombay HC Chief Justice | LIVE Updates”

SC Collegium Recommends Justice Shree Chandrashekhar as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court

In a significant development in Indian judicial affairs, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of Justice Shree Chandrashekhar as the next Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. This recommendation was made during the Collegium’s meeting on August 25, 2025, led by Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai, with Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath also present.

Background and Profile

Justice Chandrashekhar’s judicial career reflects considerable breadth and a steady trajectory:

• Initial Legal Practice: He graduated with an LL.B. from the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, in 1993, and enrolled with the Delhi State Bar Council the same year. Over roughly two decades as an advocate, he practiced in criminal and civil matters, appearing in around 140 reported judgments in the Supreme Court as counsel.
• Judicial Appointments:
  • Jharkhand High Court: Appointed as Additional Judge on 17 January 2013, he became a permanent judge on 27 June 2014. Later, he served as Acting Chief Justice beginning 29 December 2023.
  • Rajasthan High Court: Transferred here, he took the oath as judge on 5 July 2024, before being moved again to the Bombay High Court.
  • Bombay High Court: Took office as a judge on 21 July 2025.

That trajectory—moving from Jharkhand to Rajasthan, and then to Bombay—reflects the Collegium’s confidence in his capability to lead a premier High Court.

Why This Appointment Matters

1. Elevating Judicial Leadership at a Key Court

The Bombay High Court, serving Maharashtra, Goa, and several Union Territories, is one of the oldest and most influential courts in the country, with a sanctioned strength of 94 judges. As of 2025, it remains understaffed, with 52 permanent judges and 16 additional judges. Elevating Justice Chandrashekhar could bring renewed leadership and administrative efficiency to the Court.

2. Diverse Professional Experience

Justice Chandrashekhar brings a blend of experience—from grassroots judicial work as Acting Chief Justice in Jharkhand to exposure in Rajasthan and now Bombay. Such a varied background enhances his ability to address diverse regional legal challenges and to guide administrative reforms.

Context of Recent Collegium Activity

This recommendation comes in the wake of several judicial reshuffles and elevation decisions:

• Justice Alok Aradhe, the outgoing Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, has been elevated to the Supreme Court.
• Earlier in 2025, the Madras–Rajasthan High Courts saw a notable exchange of Chief Justices, involving CJs K. R. Shriram and M. M. Shrivastava.
• Justice Chandrashekhar was also part of transfers outlined by the Collegium earlier in the year, including to Bombay from Rajasthan.

These movements highlight the evolving landscape of India’s judicial leadership and the Collegium’s role in reshaping it.

Additional Resolutions by the Collegium

At its August 25, 2025 meeting, the Collegium also approved:

• The permanent appointment of six additional judges in the Bombay High Court:
  • Justice Sanjay Anandrao Deshmukh
  • Justice Vrushali Vijay Joshi
  • Justice Abhay Jainarayanji Mantri
  • Justice Shyam Chhaganlal Chandak
  • Justice Neeraj Pradeep Dhote
  • Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan.
• The permanent appointment of three additional judges in the Kerala High Court:
  • Justice Johnson John
  • Justice Gopinathan Unnithan Girish
  • Justice Chellappan Nadar Pratheep Kumar.

These decisions aim to reduce backlog and strengthen judicial capacity across key High Courts.