The Central government on Thursday cleared the appointment of advocate Manjusha Ajay Deshpande as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court.
The Union Minister for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal made the announcement through a tweet.
The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, had recommended Deshpande’s elevation to the Bombay High Court on July 18, 2023. The Collegium highlighted her proficiency in various branches of law, particularly in constitutional and service matters, and acknowledged her competence as a lawyer.
This appointment is expected to contribute to greater gender representation on the High Court bench, particularly among women practitioners at the Aurangabad bench, as noted by the Collegium.
The Bombay High Court Collegium had initially proposed her appointment on September 26, 2022. However, due to certain concerns raised by the Union Department of Justice, the Supreme Court Collegium deferred its decision on the recommendation on May 2, 2023. In response, the then Acting Chief Justice of the High Court consulted with colleagues at the Aurangabad Bench and submitted a report on May 10, 2022.
Subsequently, after reviewing the inputs from the government and considering the report from the Acting Chief Justice, the Collegium endorsed her elevation. With this endorsement, the Central government has now approved the appointment of Deshpande as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court.
