# Minister of Law and Justice

The minister of law and justice is the head of the Ministry of Law and Justice and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India. The first law and justice minister of independent India was B. R. Ambedkar, who served in first Nehru ministry during 1947–52. On 18 May 2023, Arjun Ram Meghwal replaced Kiren Rijiju and became the minister of state (independent charge) of Ministry of Law and Justice.

## Titles

Ever since the ministry's creation in 1947, the ministry had undergone several changes and adopted various name. The present form of "Ministry of Law and Justice" was adopted in July 2002 after the Department of Company Affairs of the erstwhile Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs was separated and made an independent ministry which was later known as the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
* 15 August 1947 – 18 March 1971: Minister of Law
* 18 March 1971 – 5 February 1973: Minister of Law and Justice
* 5 February 1973 – 31 October 1984: Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs
* 4 November 1984 – 21 June 1991: Minister of Law and Justice
* 21 June 1991 – 1 July 2002: Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs
* 1 July 2002 – present: Minister of Law and Justice

## Cabinet ministers

* Note: MoS, I/C – Minister of State (Independent Charge)
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| Minister of Law |||||||||||
| 1 | | | B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) MP for Bombay | 15 August 1947 | 11 October 1951 | 4 years, 57 days | Scheduled Castes Federation | Nehru I | | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 2 | | | Kailash Nath Katju (1887–1968) MP for United Provinces | 5 November 1951 | 13 May 1952 | 190 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru I | | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 3 | | | Charu Chandra Biswas (1888–1960) Rajya Sabha MP for West Bengal | 13 May 1952 | 17 April 1957 | 4 years, 339 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru II | | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 4 | | | Ashoke Kumar Sen (1913–1996) MP for Calcutta North West (MoS until 12 May 1958) | 18 April 1957 | 10 April 1962 | 8 years, 281 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru III | | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 4 | | | Ashoke Kumar Sen (1913–1996) MP for Calcutta North West (MoS until 12 May 1958) | 10 April 1962 | 27 May 1964 | 8 years, 281 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru IV | | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 4 | | | Ashoke Kumar Sen (1913–1996) MP for Calcutta North West (MoS until 12 May 1958) | 27 May 1964 | 9 June 1964 | 8 years, 281 days | Indian National Congress | Nanda I | | Gulzarilal Nanda |
| 4 | | | Ashoke Kumar Sen (1913–1996) MP for Calcutta North West (MoS until 12 May 1958) | 9 June 1964 | 11 January 1966 | 8 years, 281 days | Indian National Congress | Shastri | | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 4 | | | Ashoke Kumar Sen (1913–1996) MP for Calcutta North West (MoS until 12 May 1958) | 11 January 1966 | 24 January 1966 | 8 years, 281 days | Indian National Congress | Nanda II | | Gulzarilal Nanda |
| 5 | | | Gopal Swarup Pathak (1896–1982) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | 1 year, 48 days | Indian National Congress | Indira I | | Indira Gandhi |
| 6 | | | Panampilly Govinda Menon (1906–1970) MP for Mukundapuram | 13 March 1967 | 23 May 1970 | 3 years, 71 days | Indian National Congress | Indira II | | Indira Gandhi |
| 7 | | | Kengal Hanumanthaiah (1908–1980) MP for Bangalore City | 26 June 1970 | 18 March 1971 | 265 days | Indian National Congress | Indira II | | Indira Gandhi |
| Indian National Congress |||||||||||
| 8 | | | H. R. Gokhale (1915–1978) MP for Mumbai North West | 18 March 1971 | 5 February 1973 | 1 year, 324 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs |||||||||||
| (8) | | | H. R. Gokhale (1915–1978) MP for Mumbai North West | 5 February 1973 | 24 March 1977 | 4 years, 47 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | | Indira Gandhi |
| 9 | | | Shanti Bhushan (1925–2023) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh | 26 March 1977 | 28 July 1979 | 2 years, 124 days | Janata Party | Desai | | Morarji Desai |
| 10 | | | Justice (Retd.) Hans Raj Khanna (1912–2008) Unelected | 30 July 1979 | 3 August 1979 | 4 days | Janata Party (Secular) | Charan | | Charan Singh |
| 11 | | | Shyam Nath Kacker (born unknown) Unelected | 3 August 1979 | 14 January 1980 | 164 days | Janata Party (Secular) | Charan | | Charan Singh |
| 12 | | | P. Shiv Shankar (1929–2017) MP for Secunderabad | 14 January 1980 | 15 January 1982 | 2 years, 1 day | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| 13 | | | Jagannath Kaushal (1915–2001) MP for Chandigarh | 15 January 1982 | 31 October 1984 | 2 years, 290 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of Law and Justice |||||||||||
| (13) | | | Jagannath Kaushal (1915–2001) MP for Chandigarh | 4 November 1984 | 31 December 1984 | 57 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv I | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| (4) | | | Ashoke Kumar Sen (1913–1996) MP for Calcutta North West | 31 December 1984 | 31 March 1987 | 2 years, 90 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| (12) | | | P. Shiv Shankar (1929–2017) Rajya Sabha MP for Gujarat | 25 July 1987 | 14 February 1988 | 204 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 14 | | | Bindeshwari Dubey (1921–1993) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar | 14 February 1988 | 26 June 1988 | 133 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 15 | | | B. Shankaranand (1925–2009) MP for Chikkodi | 25 June 1988 | 2 December 1989 | 1 year, 160 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 16 | | | Dinesh Goswami (1935–1991) Rajya Sabha MP for Assam | 6 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 | 339 days | Asom Gana Parishad | Vishwanath | | Vishwanath Pratap Singh |
| 17 | | | Subramanian Swamy (born 1939) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh | 21 November 1990 | 21 June 1991 | 212 days | Janata Party | Chandra Shekhar | | Chandra Shekhar |
| Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs |||||||||||
| 18 | | | Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy (1920–2001) MP for Kurnool | 21 June 1991 | 9 October 1992 | 1 year, 110 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| – | | | P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) | 9 October 1992 | 16 May 1996 | 3 years, 220 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 19 | | | Ram Jethmalani (1923–2019) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 | 16 days | Independent | Vajpayee I | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 20 | | | P. Chidambaram (born 1945) MP for Sivaganga | 1 June 1996 | 29 June 1996 | 28 days | Tamil Maanila Congress | Deve Gowda | | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 21 | | | Ramakant Khalap (born 1946) MP for Panaji (MoS, I/C) | 29 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 1 year, 263 days | Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party | Deve Gowda | | H. D. Deve Gowda |
| 21 | | | Ramakant Khalap (born 1946) MP for Panaji (MoS, I/C) | 21 April 1997 | 19 March 1998 | 1 year, 263 days | Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party | Gujral | | Inder Kumar Gujral |
| 22 | | | M. Thambidurai (born 1947) MP for Karur | 19 March 1998 | 8 April 1999 | 1 year, 20 days. | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Vajpayee II | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 23 | | | Rangarajan Kumaramangalam (1952–2000) MP for Tiruchirappalli | 9 April 1999 | 8 June 1999 | 60 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| (19) | | | Ram Jethmalani (1923–2019) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 8 June 1999 | 13 October 1999 | 1 year, 45 days | Independent | Vajpayee II | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| (19) | | | Ram Jethmalani (1923–2019) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 13 October 1999 | 23 July 2000 | 1 year, 45 days | Independent | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 24 | | | Arun Jaitley (1952–2019) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh (MoS, I/C until 7 November 2000) | 24 July 2000 | 1 July 2002 | 1 year, 342 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of Law and Justice |||||||||||
| 25 | | | Jana Krishnamurthi (1928–2007) Rajya Sabha MP for Gujarat | 1 July 2002 | 29 January 2003 | 212 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| (24) | | | Arun Jaitley (1952–2019) Rajya Sabha MP for Uttar Pradesh | 29 January 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 1 year, 114 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 26 | | | H. R. Bhardwaj (1939–2020) Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh, until 2006 Rajya Sabha MP for Haryana, from 2006 | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 27 | | | Veerappa Moily (born 1940) MP for Chikballapur | 28 May 2009 | 12 July 2011 | 2 years, 45 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 28 | | | Salman Khurshid (born 1953) MP for Farrukhabad | 12 July 2011 | 28 October 2012 | 1 year, 108 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 29 | | | Ashwani Kumar (born 1952) Rajya Sabha MP for Punjab | 28 October 2012 | 11 May 2013 | 348 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 30 | | | Kapil Sibal (born 1948) MP for Chandni Chowk | 11 May 2013 | 26 May 2014 | 1 year, 15 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 31 | | | Ravi Shankar Prasad (born 1954) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar | 27 May 2014 | 9 November 2014 | 167 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 32 | | | D. V. Sadananda Gowda (born 1953) MP for Bangalore North | 9 November 2014 | 5 July 2016 | 1 year, 239 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| (31) | | | Ravi Shankar Prasad (born 1954) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar, till 2019 MP for Patna Sahib, from 2019 | 5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | 5 years, 2 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| (31) | | | Ravi Shankar Prasad (born 1954) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar, till 2019 MP for Patna Sahib, from 2019 | 31 May 2019 | 7 July 2021 | 5 years, 2 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 33 | | | Kiren Rijiju (born 1971) MP for Arunachal West | 7 July 2021 | 18 May 2023 | 1 year, 315 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 34 | | | Arjun Ram Meghwal (born 1953) MP for Bikaner (MoS, I/C) | 18 May 2023 | 9 June 2024 | 1 year, 216 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 34 | | | Arjun Ram Meghwal (born 1953) MP for Bikaner (MoS, I/C) | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 216 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | | Narendra Modi |

## Ministers of state

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| Minister of State for Law |||||||||||
| 1 | | | Hari Vinayak Pataskar (1892–1970) MP for Jalgaon (Minister of Legal Affairs, from 23 August 1955) | 7 December 1954 | 16 April 1957 | 2 years, 130 days | Indian National Congress | Nehru II | | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 2 | | | Ramchandra Martand Hajarnavis (1908–1976) MP for Bhandara | 29 October 1965 | 11 January 1966 | 74 days | Indian National Congress | Shastri | | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 3 | | | C. R. Pattabhiraman (1906–2001) MP for Kumbakonam | 24 January 1966 | 13 March 1967 | 1 year, 48 days | Indian National Congress | Indira I | | Indira Gandhi |
| 4 | | | Kotha Raghuramaiah (1912–1979) MP for Guntur | 13 March 1967 | 18 March 1967 | 5 days | Indian National Congress | Indira II | | Indira Gandhi |
| 5 | | | Phulrenu Guha (1912–2006) Rajya Sabha MP for West Bengal | 14 February 1969 | 26 June 1970 | 1 year, 132 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira II | | Indira Gandhi |
| 6 | | | Jagannath Rao (1909–?) MP for Chatrapur | 27 June 1970 | 18 March 1971 | 264 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira II | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Law and Justice |||||||||||
| 7 | | | Nitiraj Singh Chaudhary (1909–1988) MP for Narmadapuram | 18 March 1971 | 5 February 1973 | 1 year, 324 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs |||||||||||
| (7) | | | Nitiraj Singh Chaudhary (1909–1988) MP for Narmadapuram | 5 February 1973 | 17 October 1974 | 1 year, 254 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | | Indira Gandhi |
| 8 | | | Dajisaheb Chavan (1916–1973) MP for Karad | 5 February 1973 | 8 July 1973 (died in office) | 153 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | | Indira Gandhi |
| 9 | | | Sarojini Mahishi (1927–2015) MP for Dharwad North | 10 October 1974 | 3 January 1976 | 1 year, 85 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | | Indira Gandhi |
| 10 | | | V. A. Seyid Muhammad Rajya Sabha MP for Kerala | 25 December 1975 | 24 March 1977 | 1 year, 89 days | Indian National Congress (R) | Indira III | | Indira Gandhi |
| 11 | | | Narsingh Yadav MP for Chandauli | 14 August 1977 | 11 July 1978 | 331 days | Janata Party | Desai | | Morarji Desai |
| 12 | | | S. D. Patil MP for Erandol | 20 February 1979 | 28 July 1979 | 158 days | Janata Party | Desai | | Morarji Desai |
| 13 | | | A. A. Rahim (1920–1995) MP for Chirayinkil | 15 January 1982 | 2 September 1982 | 230 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Law and Justice |||||||||||
| 14 | | | H. R. Bhardwaj (1939–2020) Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh | 31 December 1984 | 2 December 1989 | 4 years, 336 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs |||||||||||
| 15 | | | Rangarajan Kumaramangalam (1952–2000) MP for Salem | 21 June 1991 | 2 September 1992 | 1 year, 73 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| (14) | | | H. R. Bhardwaj (1939–2020) Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh | 2 September 1992 | 16 May 1996 | 3 years, 257 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 16 | | | O. Rajagopal (born 1929) Rajya Sabha MP for Madhya Pradesh | 13 October 1999 | 24 July 2000 | 285 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of State for Law and Justice |||||||||||
| 17 | | | Ravi Shankar Prasad (born 1954) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar | 1 July 2002 | 29 January 2003 | 212 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 18 | | | P. C. Thomas (born 1950) MP for Muvattupuzha | 24 May 2003 | 22 May 2004 | 364 days | Kerala Congress | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 19 | | | K. Venkatapathy (born 1946) MP for Cuddalore | 23 May 2004 | 22 May 2009 | 4 years, 364 days | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 20 | | | P. P. Chaudhary (born 1953) MP for Pali | 5 July 2016 | 30 May 2019 | 2 years, 329 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 21 | | | S. P. Singh Baghel (born 1960) MP for Agra | 7 July 2021 | 18 May 2023 | 1 year, 315 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |