{{Short description|Gibraltarian barrister of Indian origin}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = The Honourable |name = Haresh Kishinchand Budhrani |honorific_suffix = KC |caption = |order = 5th |office = Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament |term_start = 2004 |term_end = 2012 |predecessor = John Alcantara |successor = Adolfo Canepa |birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1952|6|30}} |birth_place = Mumbai, India |death_date = |death_place = |party = |other_party = <!--For additional political affiliations--> |partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married--> |relations = |children = |alma_mater = King's College London<br />College of Law |occupation = Barrister<br>businessman<br>politician |father = |mother = |portfolio = Chairman of the Hindu Merchants' Association<br />Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament |signature = |website = |footnotes = }} '''Haresh Kishinchand Budhrani''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KC}} (born 30 June 1952) is a Gibraltarian barrister of Indian origin. He was Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament from September 2004 to October 2012.
== Biography == Budhrani was born in Mumbai, India, in June 1952. He is of Sindhi origin.<ref name="Alfonso">{{cite book |title=Diaspora, Identity and Religion: New Directions in Theory and Research |publisher=Routledge |date=2004 |isbn=9781134390359|first1=Carolin|last1=Alfonso|first2=Waltraud|last2=Kokot|first3=Khachig|last3=Tölölyan|page=198}}</ref> He was educated in Derbyshire and later at the College of Law, Guildford. Budhrani commented on the growing acceptability of Hindus in Gibraltar – by 1973 he assessed that Hindus were able to fully join in with the local community.<ref name=archer>{{cite book|last=Archer|first=Edward G.|title=Gibraltar, Identity And Empire|year=2006|publisher=Routledge|pages=233|isbn=9780415347969|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ip0C6odET4C&q=hindu+gibraltar}}</ref>
He graduated in Law in 1974 from King's College London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linkedin.com/pub/haresh-k-budhrani/52/238/426|title=Haresh K. Budhrani|editor=LinkedIn|editor-link=LinkedIn|accessdate=21 October 2012}}</ref> Budhrani later attended the Inns of Court School of Law becoming a barrister in August 1975.<ref name="Panorama">{{cite web|url=http://www.panorama.gi/archive/040913/updates.htm|title=Budhrani named Speaker – without Opposition support|editor=Panorama|date=13 September 2004|accessdate=21 October 2012}}</ref>
He was president of the Hindu Merchants' Association of Gibraltar until 2004, following the resignation of The Hon. Judge John E. Alcantara who had been nominated for the position of Speaker by the governing Gibraltar Social Democrats (without the approval of the Opposition).<ref name="Panorama"/> In September 2004, Budhrani took office as Speaker of the Gibraltar House of Assembly (later the Gibraltar Parliament).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.gi/history/composition-of-parliament|title=Composition of Parliament|editor=Gibraltar Parliament|editor-link=Gibraltar Parliament|accessdate=21 October 2012}}</ref>
In December 2011, he was reappointed by Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vox.gi/Local/4308-appointment-of-new-speaker-at-gibraltar-parliament.html|title=Appointment of New Speaker at Gibraltar Parliament|editor=VOX|date=21 December 2011|accessdate=21 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231009/http://vox.gi/Local/4308-appointment-of-new-speaker-at-gibraltar-parliament.html|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 28 September 2012 Budhrani announced that he would relinquish the position of Speaker.<ref>{{cite web|title=Composition of Parliament|url=http://www.parliament.gi/history/composition-of-parliament|publisher=Government of Gibraltar|accessdate=12 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbc.gi/news/news-details.php?id=500|title=Parliament passes Broadcasting Act: replaces GBC Act|editor=gbc.gi|date=1 October 2012|accessdate=21 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222015207/http://www.gbc.gi/news/news-details.php?id=500|archive-date=22 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Controversies == In May 2012, he was accused of having defaulted business tax payments, and as consequence, his salary of Speaker was withheld by the Gibraltar Treasury.<ref name="Taxes">{{cite web|url=http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=24790|title=Taxing questions for Mr. Speaker|editor=Gibraltar Chronicle|editor-link=Gibraltar Chronicle|date=10 May 2012|accessdate=21 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526000227/http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=24790|archive-date=26 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Budhrani stated that although a deduction was really being done from month to month, it was the result of an agreement signed with the Gibraltar Income Tax Office, not an imposition of the same, and that the amount of his debt were not as high as cited by the local media<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=24888|title=Statement by Speaker Haresh Budhrani|editor=Gibraltar Chronicle|editor-link=Gibraltar Chronicle|date=18 May 2012|accessdate=21 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923203407/http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=24888|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> (the Gibraltar Chronicle implied it was over £150,000).<ref name="Taxes"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://archive.today/20130213144606/http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=24890 Budhrani to step down as Speaker following storm over his personal tax affairs]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Budhrani, Haresh Kishinchand}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Gibraltarian people of Indian descent Category:Gibraltarian people of Sindhi descent Category:Gibraltarian Hindus Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Alumni of the University of Law Category:20th-century Gibraltarian lawyers Category:Gibraltarian King's Counsel Category:Politicians from Mumbai Category:Speakers of the Gibraltar Parliament Category:Sindhi people Category:Sindhi politicians Category:Sindhi lawyers