India’s Dalveer Bhandari Re-Elected to ICJ: 10 Things You Should Know About the Judge

On November 20, India won a place on the Bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the UK withdrew its candidate from the election.

Justice Dalveer Bhandari, 70, was re-elected for a second term after elections were held at the UN headquarters in New York.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him and also Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her team.

Here are 10 things you should know about Justice Bhandari:

1. He comes from a family of illustrious lawyers. His father, Mahaveer Chand Bhandari, and grandfather, B.C. Bhandari, were members of the Rajasthan bar.

2. He studied humanities and law from Jodhpur University and a Masters of Law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. For his contribution to law and justice, Tumkur University in Karnataka conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) on him.

3. He has worked at the Northwestern Legal Assistance Clinic and has appeared in Chicago’s courts representing the clinic’s litigants.

4. After returning to India, he practised in the Rajasthan High Court from 1973 to 1976. He then shifted to Delhi and was a Supreme Court lawyer before he became a judge at the Delhi High Court in March 1991.

5. In 2004, he was appointed as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. Justice Dalveer’s judgements have helped enhance allocation of funds for malnutrition in the five most backward districts of Maharashtra.

6. In Goa and Maharashtra, he has been instrumental in setting up mediation and conciliation centres, apart from ensuring better infrastructural facilities

7. In 2005, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India. One of the most important judgements he delivered was in a divorce case. Thanks to that, the Union of India is considering his suggestion and amending the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. It’s looking into incorporating irretrievable breakdown of marriage as a grounds for divorce.

8. He is known for his interest in computerization and intellectual property law, apart from video conferencing facilities, legal aid and legal literacy programmes.

9. In 2014, Justice Bhandari was conferred with Padma Bhushan by the President of India, which is the third highest civilian award in India.

10. In May 2016, he was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Letters by Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University Kota.

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