Former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay S. Oka has assumed office as President of the Indian Law Society (ILS), an organisation that manages the Indian Law Society’s law college in Pune, Maharashtra.
Justice Oka took charge of the position on September 1, 2026. His appointment brings a former member of the country’s highest court to the leadership of an institution associated with legal education.
From district court practice to the Supreme Court
Justice Oka began his legal career after enrolling as an advocate in 1983. He started practising at the Thane District Court before progressing to the higher judiciary.
He was appointed an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on August 29, 2003, and became a permanent judge on November 12, 2005.
In May 2019, he assumed office as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. He was subsequently elevated to the Supreme Court of India in August 2021.
Justice Oka retired from the Supreme Court on May 24, 2025, upon reaching the age of retirement for Supreme Court judges.
Academic background and legal education
Justice Oka holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Bombay.
His appointment as President of the Indian Law Society places him at the head of an organisation that operates ILS Law College in Pune. The institution is involved in legal education and the training of aspiring legal professionals.
The presidency provides a leadership role within an established legal education institution for a jurist whose career has included service at the district court level, the Bombay High Court, the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court.
Significance for the legal community
The Indian Law Society’s work is closely associated with legal education through ILS Law College. Justice Oka’s new position marks his transition from judicial office to institutional leadership following his retirement from the Supreme Court.
No further details about specific initiatives or changes under his presidency have been established.
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