Mohit Shah sworn-in Bombay High Court chief justice

MUMBAI - Justice Mohit Shah was sworn in as the new chief justice of the Bombay High Court here Saturday.

Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan administered the oath of office to the new chief justice at a function in Raj Bhavan.

The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Shivajirao Deshmukh, ministers Anil Deshmukh and Naseem Khan, Justice D. Bhandari of the Supreme Court, several judges of the high court and Mumbai Mayor Shraddha Jadhav.

Also in attendance was Mita Shah, wife of the new chief justice, and other prominent invitees.

Chief Justice Shah, who was chief justice of Calcutta High Court earlier, takes over from Justice Anil Dave, who was elevated to the Supreme Court April 30 this year.

Soon after Justice Dave’s elevation, Justice J.N. Patel served as the acting chief justice of the high court. Justice Patel has been elevated as the new chief justice of the Calcutta High Court.

Born Sep 9, 1953 in Vijapur in Gujarat, Chief Justice Shah is the son of a district and session judge.

He completed his schooling in Baroda, Surat and Amreli and later pursued higher education at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda from where he completed his graduation with political science, securing top honours and the Aurobindo Prize.

Shah started his legal practice at the Gujarat High Court in 1976.

He made rapid strides in constitutional, civil and corporate law matters, including cases under patent laws. He functioned as the standing counsel for many boards and corporations.

Despite his busy practice, Shah continued his academic pursuit. He obtained a LL.M degree from the Gujarat University, worked as a part-time professor of law in a college and taught at the University School of Law at Ahmedabad.

He was elevated as an additional judge of the Gujarat High Court in 1995 and was appointed a judge in the same high court in 1997.

He was elevated as the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court in December 2009.