Senior Advocate Iqbal Chagla, a distinguished lawyer and a doyen of the Bombay Bar Association (BBA), passed away on Sunday, at the age of 85.
He was the son of the first Indian Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, MC Chagla.
Born in 1939, Chagla obtained an MA in History and went on to study law at the Cambridge University in the 1950s. He would have turned 86 in March 2025.
His son, Justice Riyaz Chagla, is a sitting judge of the Bombay High Court.
Chagla started his practice with the famous Kharshedji Hormasji Bhabha at the Bombay High Court. He was conferred Senior Advocate designation in 1979.
Iqbal Chagla managed to carve a niche for himself, away from his legendary father, Justice MC Chagla, on the basis of his erudition, integrity and excellence in his craft. The legal luminary was also renowned for his elegant dressing and impressive oratory skills.
His baritone and politeness made him one of the most sought-after counsels in civil litigation and company matters. He was a strong proponent of constitutional values and a champion of human rights.
Chagla held the office of the President of BBA thrice, from 1990 to 1999. He also served as a Member of the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of India, as well as the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA), Delhi.
He rejected the offer of judgeship twice by the Bombay High Court. He further refused to accept the judgeship offer from the Supreme Court directly from the Bar. If he had accepted the offer, he would have become the Chief Justice of India (CJI) within few years.
Chagla, who spent almost 60 years as a member of BBA, fought many high-profile cases. He also appeared in international arbitrations and gave advise on proceedings in foreign courts.
As per BBA, he would be remembered by generations of lawyers for upholding the principles of legal profession and raising the ethical standards of the bar to a high level.
Chagla’s funeral will be held at 10:30 am on January 13, at the Worli Crematorium in Mumbai.