Justice A. J. Desai Appointed As The Acting Chief Justice Of Gujarat HC

The centre government on Friday appointed Justice Ashish Jitendra Desai as Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court with effect from February 26,2023.

The Law Minister Kiren Rijiju announced Justice Desai appointment on twitter saying,

“Shri Justice Ashish Jitendra Desai, senior most judge of the Gujarat High Court is appointed as acting chief justice of Gujarat High Court with effect from 26.02.2023.”

The current Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, Justice Sonia Gokani, who was recently appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court, will retire on February 25,2023.

Justice Desai was born in Vadodara on 5th July, 1962. His father (late) Justice Jitendra P Desai was a Judge of the High Court of Gujarat from 1983 to 1989.  In 1982, Justice Desai earned a B.A. (Economics) from St. Xaviers’ College in Ahmedabad.

On November 27, 1985, he registered as an advocate with the Gujarat Bar Council after earning his law degree from Sir L.A. Shah Law College in Ahmedabad.

Justice Desai joined the office of Advocate M. C. Bhatt and Daksha M. Bhatt and began practising at the City Civil & Sessions Court in Ahmedabad, and then at the High Court of Gujarat beginning in 1991.

He was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader in 1994 and as Additional Public Prosecutor in 1995, positions he held until his elevation. He was later appointed as Central Government Standing Counsel between 2006 to 2009 and he was on the panel of the Gujarat Electricity Board as well as on the panel of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited.

In addition, Justice Desai appeared in a large number of cases in various branches of law, including matters of constitutional importance and public interest. He testified in a large number of civil and criminal cases. On November 21, 2011, he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court, and on September 6, 2013, he was confirmed as a permanent Judge.