Eminent jurist Fali S Nariman passes away at 95
Renowned constitutional expert and senior Supreme Court advocate, Fali S Nariman, passed away in New Delhi on Wednesday. He was 95. With an impressive seven-decade-long legal career, Nariman started practicing as a lawyer at the Bombay High Court and later moved to the national capital. In 1972, he was appointed the additional solicitor general of India by the then-Congress government. Nariman is survived by his son Rohinton Nariman, daughter Anaheeta, and daughter-in-law Sanaya. His wife, Bapsi Nariman, died in 2020.
Awards received, leadership positions held by Nariman
Nariman received numerous accolades, including the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2007. He held prestigious positions such as the president of the Bar Association of India from 1991 to 2010, vice-chairman of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, from 1989 to 2005, and president of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration. He also served as chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Commission of Jurists, Geneva, from 1995-97.
Look at Nariman's legacy
A distinguished constitutional lawyer, Nariman argued several landmark cases, including the National Judicial Appointments Commission verdict of 2015. In June 1975, he resigned as the additional solicitor general of India to protest against the decision of the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government to declare a state of emergency. Nariman was a fierce advocate for civil liberties and secularism, wielding significant influence as a public figure. His son Rohinton is a senior advocate and was a judge of the Supreme Court.
Legal fraternity mourns Nariman's death
Senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi expressed his anguish over Nariman's death in a post on X. "End of an era - [Nariman] passes away, a living legend who [will] forever be in hearts [and] minds of those in law [and] public life," Singhvi said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also offered his condolences. "The country has lost an epitome of what righteousness stood for. The legal fraternity is intellectually poorer today," he said.
