Ahmedabad: Justice Ashish Jitendra Desai, the senior most Judge in the Gujarat High Court has been appointed as acting Chief Justice following the retirement of Chief Justice Sonia Gokani on February 26.

The announcement of Justice Desai’s appointment was made by Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on social media, who also congratulated him.

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— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 24, 2023

Justice Desai was born into a family of judges and lawyers in Vadodara on July 5th, 1962, Justice A J Desai’s late father, Mr Justice Jitendra P Desai, served as a Judge of the High Court of Gujarat from 1983 to 1989. Justice Desai graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from St. Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad in 1982 and received his law degree from Sir L.A. Shah Law College in Ahmedabad in 1985. He was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Gujarat on November 27th, 1985.

Justice Desai began his legal career in the office of Advocate Mr M.C. Bhatt and Mrs Daksha M. Bhatt and initially practiced at the City Civil & Sessions Court in Ahmedabad before moving to the High Court of Gujarat in 1991. He was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader in 1994 and as Additional Public Prosecutor in 1995, and he continued to work in these positions until his elevation. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Central Government Standing Counsel and was on the panel of the Gujarat Electricity Board and the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited. He appeared in numerous cases in various branches of law, including constitutional matters and those of significant public interest.

On November 21st, 2011, Justice Desai was elevated to the position of Additional Judge of the High Court of Gujarat and was confirmed as a permanent judge on September 6th, 2013. DeshGujarat