The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of Justice RD Dhanuka as the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.
The Collegium comprising Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph in their meeting held on April 19, 2023 have recommendation was passed.
Justice Dhanuka who was born in 1961,completed his schooling in Mumbai. He completed LLB and started his practice in the High Court in 1985 in the chamber of his father, retired Justice DR Dhanuka, till he was elevated as judge in 1990.
Justice Dhanuka was on the senior counsel panel of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai for last several years and appeared in large number of matters.
He was elevated as judge of the Bombay High Court on January 23, 2012. He is due to demit office on 30 May 2023.
Justice Dhanuka will have a tenure of little over a month as the Chief Justice.
The Collegium resolution stated that Justice Dhanuka served the High Court with distinction since his appointment.
“Over the last 11 years, he has acquired sufficient experience on the judicial and administrative side as a puisne judge of the High Court. In view of the fact that Justice Dhanuka has a short tenure as noted above, in terms of the memorandum of procedure, the Collegium resolves to recommend his appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Bombay. In terms of the procedure, consultation has been held with the consultee-Judge/s with a view to ascertain his suitability for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
The consultee-judge/s have concurred with the proposed appointment” the resolution stated.
The Bombay High Court is presently functioning at a strength of 65 judges, ie. 42 permanent and 23 additional judges.