Pranav Birje | The News Bulletins
Mumbai: Former Member of Parliament (MP) from North Mumbai, Gopal Shetty, has once again written to the Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, urging him to expedite the process of renaming the ‘Bombay High Court’ to the ‘Maharashtra High Court’.
In his letter, Shetty cited previous correspondence (dated October 8, 2024, February 3, 2025, and November 29, 2025), emphasizing that he has been continuously striving for this name change for several years.
The Legal Context
Shetty highlighted a letter he received from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on December 26, 2025. In that letter, Fadnavis clarified that, based on the opinion of the High Court’s full bench, the power to rename the High Court lies solely with the Parliament under Entry 78 of the Central List (Seventh Schedule of the Constitution).
It was also noted that a proposal to rename the ‘Bombay High Court’ has been pending with the central government since 2005, and a separate Act needs to be passed in Parliament to finalize this change.
Key Arguments for Renaming
In his letter to the Law Minister, Gopal Shetty outlined four major reasons why the name change is necessary:
1. Statewide Representation:
Under the Constitution, a High Court is the supreme judicial institution for the entire state, not just one city. The jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court extends beyond Mumbai to all districts of Maharashtra. Therefore, it is logical that the court’s name reflects the identity of the entire state.
2. Consistency with Other States:
Most High Courts in India are named after their respective states. Examples include the High Courts of Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Telangana. Therefore, the name “Maharashtra High Court” is appropriate for the state.
3. Removing Colonial Legacy:
Maharashtra is a state built on historical and cultural pride, formed through mass movements and linguistic identity.
“Keeping the name of the state’s highest judicial institution tied to a colonial, British-era identity does not align with the spirit of a modern, democratic, and indigenous India.”
Shetty argued that the name ‘Maharashtra High Court’ would reflect a self-reliant India and give due respect to the state’s language and culture.
4. Long-standing Public Demand:
There has been a long-standing demand from citizens, social organizations, lawyers, and elected representatives for this change. Approving this through Parliament would send a message that the Central Government is sensitive and accountable to regional identities and public sentiment.
Connecting to Marathi Pride
Concluding his letter, Shetty praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recently granting Classical Language status to the Marathi language. He noted that this decision brought pride to the people of Maharashtra and had a positive impact on recent elections.
Shetty stated that formally renaming the court to ‘Maharashtra High Court’ would similarly boost the self-respect of the citizens and bring greater national honor to the state’s identity. He has requested the government to initiate the necessary legislative process in Parliament immediately.