Justice G.L. Oza

Shri Justice Goverdhan Lal Oza was born on 12th December, 1924 at Ujjain. His father Shri Jamnalalji Oza has been a well known Social worker of Ujjain. He had his early education at Madhav College, Ujjain. In the student days he took active part in student politics and the freedom movement called ‘Quit India’ under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. As a student, he also led the agitation against the rulers of the Holkar State who wanted not to merge with the Indian Union and ultimately the ruler accepted the merger of the State in the Indian Union. In 1948, he joined the Bar at Indore. In the early days at the Bar he was actively associated with the politics in the country and attended the Asian Socialist Conference at Rangoon (Burma) in December, 1952 as a delegate from India. He has been a lawyer of outstanding merit. He has worked in Constitutional, Civil, Criminal, Labour and other cases. He has been associated with practically all the important and sensational cases at Indore for about a decade before elevation to the Bench. On 29th July, 1968, he was sworn in as Additional Judge of the M.P. High Court at Jabalpur. He joined the Indore Bench of the High Court. Indore Bar welcomed the appointment of their colleagues with acclamation. As a Judge he was the pioneer in starting the work of legal aid and founded a voluntary legal aid and education society. It continued to function till the State Government took over the legal aid programme. On 3rd January, 1984 he took over as the Chief Justice of the State and was Acting Chief Justice till 1st of December, 1984 when he was appointed as the permanent Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh. On 29th of October, 1985 he took the oath of office as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.