Chagla was the son of the legendary Indian jurist and former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, MC Chagla. Over his illustrious career, Iqbal Chagla carved out his own legacy, earning widespread respect in the legal fraternity.
Known for his sharp legal acumen, Chagla served as the president of the Bombay Bar Association on three occasions, a testament to the faith his peers placed in him. His legal journey began under the tutelage of the renowned Kharshedji Hormasji Bhabha, and he was conferred the designation of Senior Advocate in 1979.
Despite his immense contributions to the legal field, Chagla notably declined judgeship on three occasions—twice from the Bombay High Court and once from the Supreme Court. Had he accepted, he would have eventually ascended to the position of Chief Justice of India.
In an interview with Bar & Bench, Chagla explained his decision to decline the role. “There were many reasons. I was told that I would become the Chief Justice of India in the course of time. It was said in such a way to make sure that I could not say no. But I would have been the Chief Justice for only 13 months, which I felt was not enough. There were other personal reasons. But they could have been overridden if the period would have been longer as the Chief Justice,” he had said.
