Justice Gautam Patel - Judge, Rhetorician, Virtuoso
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
14 July 2025 5:20 PM IST
Bombay Bar Association is back — and starting Season 2 with a bang! Joining for the premiere is none other than Justice Gautam Patel — retired judge of the Bombay High Court, writer par excellence, photographer, film aficionado and, of course, former Honorary Secretary of the BBA.In conversation with Senior Advocate Shiraz Rustomjee, Justice Patel dives into topics that matter: the fight...
Bombay Bar Association is back — and starting Season 2 with a bang! Joining for the premiere is none other than Justice Gautam Patel — retired judge of the Bombay High Court, writer par excellence, photographer, film aficionado and, of course, former Honorary Secretary of the BBA.
In conversation with Senior Advocate Shiraz Rustomjee, Justice Patel dives into topics that matter: the fight for environmental protection through law, the evolving boundaries of free speech in India, and why protecting our Fundamental Rights is more important than ever.
There's plenty here for everyone — from aspiring judges and young lawyers to seasoned legal minds. And if you listen closely, you might even pick up a tip or two on how to write a great judgment (plus a sly joke about spotting typos).
Whether you're prepping for a legal career or just love a good courtroom story, this one's for you.
CHAPTERS
(00:00 - 01:08) Introduction
(01:09 - 05:34) Growing up in Bombay
(05:35 - 08:32) Getting into law
(08:33 - 11:26) Working with the Bombay Environmental Action Group
(11:27 - 13:10) Janak Dwarkadas influence
(13:11 - 15:34) The importance of Bombay Bar Association
(15:35 - 31:42) Accepting judgeship and the Bombay High Court
(31:42 - 35:18) The importance of protecting the Constitution
(35:19 - 38:10) His opinion on the digitization of the courts, where it should be used and why that is important
(38:11 - 39:14) His opinion on how AI can be used in judiciary
(39:15 - 39:23) On how he would like to be remembered as a judge
CREDITS:
Guest: Justice Gautam Patel
Host: Shiraz Rustomjee
Audio Podcast Narrator: Aditya Bapat
Editorial Guidance: Nitin Thakker
Special Thanks: Farhan Dubash & Firoz Bharucha
Concept & Creative Producer: Aditya Bapat
Head of Production: Shaun Fanthome
Creative Head: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Sound Designer & Mixing Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni
Sound Editors : Lakshman Parsuram & Nihar Temkar
Director and Editor: Jishnu Guha
Animation: Pratik Belote & Kurush Dubash
Camera Assistant: Ujjwal Lo
Project Coordinator: Natasha Vakil
Assistant Producer: Quoyina Ghosh
Studio: Island City Studios
This is a Maed in India production.