New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI): Distinguished jurist and former Additional Solicitor General of India Fali S. Nariman passed away on Wednesday at around 12.45 a.m. He was 95.
Nariman was suffering from multiple ailments, including cardiac issues. He is survived by his son, former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, his daughter-in-law Sanaya, and his daughter Anaheeta. His wife, Bapsi Nariman, passed away in 2020.
Born on January 10, 1929, Nariman moved from Burma to India with his parents after the Pearl Harbour bombing.
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.
He was a designated senior advocate to the Supreme Court of India since 1971 and was the President of the Bar Association of India from 1991 to 2010. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha in November 1999 and received the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 1999–2005.
As an author, he wrote several books. His autobiography Before Memory Fades is a widely read book among law students and young lawyers, acting as a source of inspiration for them. The State of the Nation and God Save the Hon’ble Supreme Court are his other books.
A fierce advocate of civil liberties and secularism, Nariman was an important public voice whose critical opinions about judicial developments carried much weight. He was a vocal critic of the judiciary when they stepped wrong. He championed free speech and civil liberties. Nariman voiced criticism of the recent judgment on the Article 370 case.
He represented his clients in the Supreme Court in several crucial cases, including the Bhopal gas tragedy, the TMA Pai case, and the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case.
