Ajit Prakash Shah

Who is Ajit Prakash Shah?

Justice Ajit Prakash Shah is the Chairman of the 20th Law Commission of India. He was the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court from May 2008 till his retirement in February 2010. Justice Shah is known for his bold judgments, including the world-headliner July 2009 ruling that found India's 150-year-old statute prohibiting homosexual acts as discriminatory and therefore a "violation of fundamental rights".

"It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster dignity of every individual," the Bench headed by Justice Shah said in the judgment.

He belongs to a family of lawyers; his grandfather, father and uncle were in the legal profession. His father became a Judge of Bombay High Court and upon retirement served as a Lokayukta. Justice Shah has a unique place in the history of Indian jurisprudence and he is placed in the league of Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer and Justice P.N. Bhagwati. He was disappointed on not being elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.

Justice Shah did his graduation from Solapur and attended Government Law College, Mumbai for his law degree. After a short span of practice at the Solapur District Court, he shifted to the Bombay High Court in 1977 and joined the chambers of the then-leading Advocate Shri S.C. Pratap. He gained experience in civil, constitutional, service and labour matters.