Dr. Justice K.J. Thaker

Hon’ble Dr. Justice K. J. Thaker

Chairperson - Gujarat State Human Rights Commission

Hon’ble Dr. Justice K.J. Thaker has been appointed as Chairperson of Gujarat State Human Rights Commission in September 2023 after superannuating from Allahabad High Court in August 2023.  Born on 04.09.1961 in the family of lawyers at Bombay; son of late Shri Jayendra M. Thaker, retd. Judge, City Civil & Sessions Court, Ahmedabad; did schooling from St. Xavier's School and Gujrat Law Society, Ahmedabad; passed B.Sc. (Chemistry) from M.G. Science College, Ahmedabad; passed LL.B. from Sir L.A. Shah Law College, Ahmedabad and stood first in Gujarat University. Thereafter, pursued LL.M. (Commercial group) from L.A. Shah Law College, Ahmedabad, and for pursuing LL.M. was awarded U.G.C Scholarship; awarded Ph.D. in Environment Law by Gujarat University, under the able guidance of Dr. S.S. Singhavi of M.N. Law College and also an alumnus of ClS. Joined the Bar in the year 1987, and started practice with late Shri N.J. Mehta and then joined the office of Shri K.S. Nanavati; practiced in the High Court of Gujarat in Labour Matters, Service Matters, Constitutional Matters, Civil and Criminal Matters; was part-time lecturer at L.A. Shah Law College and M.N. Shah Law College, Ahmedabad and taught LLM at LA Shah Law College, Ahmedabad. Has been a resource fellow with Gujarat State Judicial Academy as well as National Judicial Academy Judicial, Bhopal; has decided various important matters including the matter of Shankaracharya and has decided various matters under Motor Vehicles Act and various Writs during his tenure as Judge of District Judiciary as in the capacity of District Judge, Sessions Judge and the matter of Accidents Claims Tribunal; attended international conference on environment from 29th February, 2020 to 1st March, 2020. Several articles are published in various journal of repute on different subjects and decided several matters under the Arbitration Act also. Was nominated to attend conferences at Bhopal National Judicial Academy and National Police Academy, Hyderabad, several times and being a trained mediator has mediated several important litigations and has been imparting training to Judicial Officers in mediation and successfully conducted several Lok Adalats as Chairman of Legal Services Authority for the Districts.    In February 1997, was directly appointed as District Judge and worked as such at various places; attended SARRC Conference on Environmental sustainability at Hyderabad and International Conference on Judicial Reforms at Chandigarh; appointed as Additional Judge of the High Court of Gujarat and took oath as such on 4th May, 2013 and transferred to Allahabad High Court on 11th April 2016. At present, pursuing Post Doctoral Studies on Compensatory Jurisprudence from National Forensic Sciences University under Padma Shri Dr. J.M. Vyas. About 31 articles of His Lordship on various topics have been published till date. His Lordship has recently attended International Conference on Forensic Science held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. His better half Smt. Nandani Thaker is an alumnus of Gujarat Law Society and was a member of Consumer Commission, Gujarat State.