Gangtok, January 3 (IPR): Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim in a function held at Ashirwad Hall, Lok Bhawan, today.
Governor of Sikkim Mr Om Prakash Mathur administered the oath of office to Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque.
The function saw the presence of the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Mr Prem Singh Tamang; Speaker, Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Mr Mingma Norbu Sherpa; Deputy Speaker, SLA, Ms Rajkumari Thapa; Judge, High Court of Sikkim, Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai; Judge, High Court of Sikkim, Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan; Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Heads of Departments, dignitaries from the Judiciary and other officials from the State Government.
Upon taking the oath, Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque signed the solemn oath/affirmation relating to his assumption of office, which was duly attested by the Governor.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Mr R Telang read out the notification and the warrant of appointment of Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque.
After the swearing-in, the Chief Justice was congratulated by the Governor, the Chief Minister, other dignitaries and invitees.
Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque, formerly a Judge of the High Court of Kerala, assumed office as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim.
is a distinguished jurist known for his wide-ranging legal expertise and strong academic background, both in India and abroad.
Born on June 1, 1967, in Thana, Kannur district of Kerala, Justice Mustaque pursued his legal education at V.B. College of Law, Udupi, before obtaining a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Labour Law from Mahatma Gandhi University. He was enrolled as an advocate on October 1, 1989, and went on to practise for seven years before various courts and statutory authorities in Kannur.
Expanding his academic horizon internationally, Justice Mustaque completed a Master 2 degree in Space and Telecommunication Law from Paris XI University under a funded programme of the French Government. He also undertook a course in Private International Law at the Hague Academy of International Law and completed advanced training in E-Commerce and Intellectual Property Law from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
In addition to his academic pursuits, he received professional training as a mediator from a European team from the United Kingdom and from the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC) of the Supreme Court of India. He has to his credit several international publications and has presented papers at prestigious forums, including the International Astronautical Congress held in Hyderabad, Daejon (South Korea) and Naples (Italy).
Justice Mustaque has actively participated in numerous professional advancement programmes, international conferences and workshops on various branches of law. During his practice, he worked extensively as a litigation lawyer, arbitrator and mediator, and served as a mediator with the Kerala Mediation Centre. He also functioned as Standing Counsel for Kannur University and represented educational institutions, telecom companies and local authorities.
His areas of practice spanned civil, commercial, constitutional, administrative, service and criminal law, along with specialised domains such as telecommunication, intellectual property and information technology laws. He has also contributed to legal education and alternative dispute resolution as a faculty member with the Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation (IIAM), panel arbitrator of ICADR and IIAM, and as a member of the International Institute of Space Law and the Indian Society of International Law.
Beyond courtroom and academic engagements, Justice Mustaque worked as the Managing Editor of the online legal newsletter L.I.N.K., published from Luxembourg. He has served as a Charter Member and Treasurer of the India International ADR Association and as Secretary of the Mediators’ Council of India.
Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque was sworn in as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Kerala on January 23, 2014, and was appointed as a Permanent Judge with effect from March 10, 2016. Recognising his judicial acumen and experience, he was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala with effect from July 5, 2024.
