Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi
{{short description|26th Chief Justice of India (1932–2023)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2023}}{{Infobox Judge
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi
| image = Justice A.M. Ahmadi.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| order = 26th
| office = Chief Justice of India
| termstart = 25 October 1994
| termend = 24 March 1997
| nominator = none (per convention as he was the senior most judge)
| appointer = Shankar Dayal Sharma
| predecessor = M. N. Venkatachaliah
| successor = J. S. Verma
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1932|3|25}}
| birth_place = Surat, Bombay Presidency, British India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2023|3|2|1932|3|25}}
| death_place =
| spouse = Amena Ahmadi
| children = 2
| office2 = Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University
| term_start2 = 2003
| term_end2 = 2010
| successor2 = Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin
| predecessor2 = Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin
}}
File:Shankar_Dayal_Sharma_and_Aziz_Mushabber_Ahmadi.jpg and Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi]]
Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi (25 March 1932 – 2 March 2023) was an Indian judge who was the 26th Chief Justice of India. After serving as a judge in the Gujarat High Court, Ahmadi was appointed judge to the Supreme Court in 1988. He was then elevated to the post of Chief Justice, and served from 1994 to 1997. He served as chancellor at the Aligarh Muslim University for two terms.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amu.ac.in/pro.jsp?did=10065&lid=Chancellors |title=Chancellors of AMU |access-date=18 May 2020|archive-date=17 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517214338/https://www.amu.ac.in/pro.jsp?did=10065&lid=Chancellors|work=amu.ac.in}}
Judicial career
Having received Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Ahmadi joined the bar in 1954. He eventually was appointed judge to the City Civil & Sessions Court of Ahmedabad in 1964. During this time, Ahmadi was appointed secretary of the legal affairs of the state of Gujarat in 1974, which soon led to an appointment as judge of the Gujarat High Court in 1976.
As judge of the Gujarat High Court, Ahmadi worked as chairman of various advisory boards for:
- Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities
- Prevention of Black Marketing
- Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities.
He worked as a member of the Ravi & Beas Waters Disputes Tribunal under the Rajiv-Longowal Settlement (Punjab Settlement).
Ultimately this led to an appointment as a justice in the Supreme Court of India in December 1988. After six years, Ahmadi was appointed Chief Justice of India in October 1994. Ahmadi became the third Muslim ever to serve as Chief Justice of India. Over the course of his Supreme Court tenure, Ahmadi authored 232 judgments and sat on 811 benches.{{Cite web |title=A.M. Ahmadi |url=https://www.scobserver.in/judges/a-m-ahmadi/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Supreme Court Observer |language=en-US}} After serving for two and a half years, he eventually stepped down to retire in March 1997.
Foreign recognition
Among many recognitions include:{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}
- Member of the American Inns of Court (May 1995)
- Honorary Master Bencher of the Honourable Society of Middle Temple, London (November 1996)
- Degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) conferred by University of Leicester, England. (July 1998)
- Nominated on International Committees:
- Human Rights violation in East Timor (United Nations){{Clarify|reason=Which committee?|date=March 2023}}
- To assist the judiciary in Liberia (International Court of Justice){{Clarify|reason=Assist with what? Which committee?|date=March 2023}}
- To review the state of relations between the judiciary, the legal profession, and the executive and violation of human rights in Zimbabwe (International Bar Association){{Clarify|reason=Zimbabwe human rights seemingly has nothing to do with the rest of the items in this list|date=March 2023}}
Post-Retirement career
=Chancellor at Aligarh=
After stepping down from the supreme court, Ahmadi became chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. In 2007, Ahmadi was re-elected chancellor of Aligarh for three years.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070509031209/http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/25/stories/2007012512470300.htm The Hindu: New Delhi News – ICRI to launch new course in clinical research – 1/25/07]
After entering academia, he was invited to speak at various universities and forums worldwide. Particularly in India, he used his status to speak out on political issues such as minority rights.
=Muslim Rights=
Using his status, Ahmadi also continued to speak out for Muslim rights in India, himself being a Muslim from the Dawoodi Bohra community.{{Cite web |last=Mahmood |first=Tahir |date=2023-03-03 |title=Tahir Mahmood writes: Chief Justice Aziz Ahmadi, a gentleman on the Bench |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/chief-justice-aziz-ahmadi-gentleman-on-bench-8477651/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225015434/https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/chief-justice-aziz-ahmadi-gentleman-on-bench-8477651/ |archive-date=2023-12-25 |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} He remained active in Indian politics as an advocate of minority rights, latterly through a book entitled A Guide To Uplift Minorities by the city-based{{What?|reason=what is “the city-based” supposed to mean|date=March 2023}} Human Welfare Trust [https://web.archive.org/web/20110826220214/http://www.vision2016.org.in/].
Putting emphasis on education, Ahmadi frequently mentioned that the vast Muslim population of India struggled to put children in school. He encouraged federal and state governments to solve this problem, stating that, "the country simply cannot afford to have a certain percentage of population unable to contribute to the country's development."{{Cite web |url=http://www.iosworld.org/keynote_address%20by%20justice%20a%20m%20ahmadi.htm |title=Keynote Address at the National Convention On Empowerment of Muslims through the Constitution of India |access-date=5 March 2009 |archive-date=20 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820200800/http://www.iosworld.org/keynote_address%20by%20justice%20a%20m%20ahmadi.htm |url-status=dead }}
=Arbitrations=
Ahmadi was a sought-after arbitrator in high-value domestic as well as international arbitration matters.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}
Death
References
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090114180700/http://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in/judges/bio/amahmadi.htm Indian Supreme Court – Justice Background: A.M. Ahmadi]
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External links
- [http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/muslims-havent-availed-of-constitutional-rights-justice-ahmadi_10079190.html Muslims haven’t availed of constitutional rights: justice Ahmadi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006034030/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/muslims-havent-availed-of-constitutional-rights-justice-ahmadi_10079190.html |date=6 October 2018 }}
- [http://www.twocircles.net/2008aug27/book_review_guide_uplift_minorities.html Book review: A guide to uplift minorities]
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{{succession box | title=Chief Justice of India | before=Manepalli Narayana Rao Venkatachaliah | after=Jagdish Sharan Verma | years=25 October 1994 – 24 March 1997}}
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{{Chief Justices of India}}
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Category:20th-century Indian Muslims
Category:21st-century Indian Muslims
Category:20th-century Indian judges