President Appoints CESTAT Judicial Member Ajay Sharma as Additional Judge of Bombay High Court
The President of India has appointed Ajay Sharma, Judicial Member of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Mumbai, as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court for a period of two years. The appointment was formally notified by the Union Government on November 5, 2026, through the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice.
The appointment has been made under Article 224(1) of the Constitution of India, which empowers the President to appoint Additional Judges to High Courts. His two-year tenure will commence from the date he assumes charge of the office.
The appointment follows the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium, which approved Ajay Sharma’s elevation during its meeting held on October 26, 2026. The Collegium had recommended two names for appointment to the Bombay High Court: Ajay Sharma, Judicial Member of CESTAT, Mumbai, and advocate Vaibhav Anant Sugdare.
However, the Central Government has so far notified only Ajay Sharma’s appointment. The appointment of Vaibhav Anant Sugdare, whose name was recommended alongside Sharma’s, remains pending as of November 7, 2026.
Ajay Sharma has considerable experience in the legal and judicial field. He enrolled as an advocate in 1994 and was subsequently appointed Judicial Member of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal by the President of India through an Office Order dated April 11, 2018.
CESTAT is a specialised appellate tribunal that adjudicates disputes relating to customs, central excise and service tax matters. Its Judicial Members play an important role in deciding appeals involving statutory interpretation, taxation disputes and other questions arising under indirect tax laws.
His elevation to the Bombay High Court marks a transition from specialised tribunal adjudication to constitutional court jurisdiction, where he will deal with a broader range of civil, criminal, constitutional and statutory matters.
The appointment comes at a time when the Bombay High Court is dealing with vacancies in its sanctioned judicial strength. According to the Department of Justice’s figures as of November 1, 2026, the High Court had a sanctioned strength of 94 judges, against a working strength of 75, leaving 19 vacancies.
The addition of Ajay Sharma to the High Court bench is expected to contribute to its judicial strength and the disposal of pending cases. His appointment also reflects the constitutional process through which experienced members of the legal profession and specialised judicial institutions may be elevated to High Courts.
The appointment notification, dated November 5, 2026, was issued by the Department of Justice under Notification No. K-13014/03/2026-US-I.
