JUSTICE Alpesh Yashwant Kogje on Thursday took oath as the 30th Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan. Governor Mangubhai Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Kogje in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and several dignitaries. More than 20 judges from the Gujarat High Court attended the ceremony, along with a large number of lawyers from Gujarat. The Madhya Pradesh High Court currently has 33 judges. Justice Kogje was appointed an additional judge of the Gujarat High Court in April 2016 and became a permanent judge in March 2018. He has nearly a decade of experience on the bench. Justice Kogje completed his BSc in Chemistry in 1990 and obtained his law degree from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in 1993. He enrolled with the Gujarat Bar Council the same year and began practising law. During his legal career, Kogje served as an assistant and additional public prosecutor for the Gujarat Government and as standing counsel for the Central Excise and Customs Department.

 

He also served as special public prosecutor in cases related to the 2002 Godhra riots before the Gujarat High Court. As a lawyer, Justice Kogje handled constitutional, criminal, service, administrative and civil matters before the Gujarat High Court. As a judge, he has heard cases involving criminal justice, citizens’ rights and administrative issues. The Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Kogje for appointment as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on August 31. The Centre approved the appointment on September 5, paving the way for his swearing-in on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar, Deputy Chief Ministers Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla, Bhopal Mayor Malti Rai, senior judicial and administrative officers, judges from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, legislators, MPs and members of the legal fraternity. Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal conducted the proceedings and read out the presidential notification appointing Justice Kogje as Chief Justice