Constitutional lawyer, jurist and former Additional Solicitor General of India Fali S. Nariman passed away on February 21 at 12.45 a.m. He was 95.
Internationally respected, Mr. Nariman was born on January 10, 1929.
“We deeply mourn the sad demise of Mr. Nariman. He was a giant as an intellectual,” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud in open court addressed Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani as soon as the court convened on Wednesday. A senior lawyer said Nariman was finalising his written submissions for a Constitution Bench matter till late last night.
One of Nariman’s early memories is his “adventurous trek” from Burma to India with his parents after the Pearl Harbour bombing and being nearly trampled by a rogue elephant in the jungles.
He began his legal career in the prestigious chambers of Sir Jamshedji Kanga in the Bombay High Court in November 1950. He moved to Delhi after his appointment as the Additional Solicitor General of India in May 1972, but resigned his post with a one-line letter addressed to the Law Minister after the imposition of censorship during the Emergency.
He moved on to represent clients in the Supreme Court in several crucial cases, including the Bhopal gas tragedy, TMA Pai case and a masterful intervention in the apex court in the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case years later.
He was a vocal critic of the judiciary when they stepped wrong. He championed free speech and civil liberties.
Nariman has held several prestigious posts at both the national and international arenas.
An author, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha in November 1999 and received the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
His son Justice Rohinton Nariman was Supreme Court judge.
