Centre Notifies Appointment Of Acting Chief Justice For Kerala High Court

Justice Mustaque, presently the senior-most judge at the Kerala High Court, will assume the responsibilities of Chief Justice following the retirement of Chief Justice AJ Desai on July 4.

The notification dated July 3, 2024 read, “In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Muhamed Mustaque Ayumantakath, Judge of the Kerala High Court, to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of that High Court with effect from 05.07.2024 consequent upon retirement of Shri Justice Ashish Jitendra Desai, Chief Justice, Kerala High Court on 04.07.2024.”

Born on June 1, 1967, in Kannur, Justice Mustaque completed his LLB from VB College of Law, Udupi, and pursued an LLM specializing in Labour Law from MG University. He began his legal career in 1989, predominantly practicing in courts in Kannur. In addition to his legal pursuits, he expanded his academic credentials, obtaining a Master 2 in Space and Telecommunication Law from Paris XI University, and undertaking courses in Private International Law at the Hague Academy of International Law and E-Commerce and Intellectual Property from WIPO. He also received training as a mediator and contributed to various international publications.

Justice Mustaque has held several significant roles including Managing Editor of the legal newsletter L.I.N.K. published from Luxembourg, Charter Member and Treasurer of the India International ADR Association, and Secretary of the Mediators' Council of India. He has also served as a faculty member for mediation training at the Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation, a Panel Arbitrator of ICADR and IIAM, and a Member of the International Institute of Space Law and Indian Society of International Law.

Appointed as an additional judge of the Kerala High Court on January 23, 2014, Justice Mustaque was elevated to the position of permanent judge on March 10, 2016.