UNITED/NATIONS: India’s Dalveer Bhandari was re-elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday. The General Assembly rallied behind him in a show of strength that made Britain bow to the majority. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj congratulated Bhandari calling his appointment a “diplomatic milestone for India”.
Here are 10 things you must know about Judge Dalveer Bhandari:
– He received India’s third highest civilian award – Padma Bhushan – 2014.
– He has been associated with all cases decided by the ICJ from 19 June 2012 till date.
– He has delivered several separate opinions on various important areas covering Maritime disputes, Whaling in Antarctica, Crime of Genocide, Delimitation of continental shelf, Nuclear disarmament, Financing of terrorism, Violation of sovereign rights etc.
– Dr Justice Bhandari served as a senior judge in the Supreme Court of India. Keeping in view his landmark judgment in a divorce case, the government of India is considering his suggestion for amendment of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, incorporating irretrievable breakdown of marriage as a ground for divorce.
– Along with adjudication, he also has a wide experience in administrative matters. He was nominated as Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, Chairman of Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee and supervised mediation.
– He was Chairman of Selection Committee for appointing the Judicial and Administrative Members for the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chairman of the Selection Committee for appointing the Chairman and Members of the Railway Claims Tribunal, among other positions that he held.
– He practised in the Rajasthan HC from 1968 to 1970 and then went to the US on an international scholarship to pursue a Master of Laws degree. He returned to India in 1973 and thereafter until February 1977 practised in the Rajasthan HC.
– Justice Bhandari was elevated as a judge of the High Court of Delhi on 19 March 1991. He served as a judge of the High Court of Delhi for more than 13 years before he was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
– He was elevated as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on 25 July 2004. During his tenure, the Bombay HC achieved the rare distinction of functioning on a full strength of 60 judges for the first time.
– On the international front, he has been a Member of the Advisory Board of the Asian Society of International Law, President of the India International Law Foundation since 2007, Chairperson of the Delhi Chapter of International Law Association, Executive Member International Law Association in the Supreme Court for several years.
Bureau Report
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