Legal doyen Fali S Nariman passes away

Throughout his illustrious legal career spanning decades, Nariman argued in numerous landmark cases, including the National Judicial Appointments Commission case, the Bhopal gas tragedy case, the TMA Pai case, and the Jayalalithaa disproportionate case, among others. His exceptional contributions to the legal field earned him the Padma Bhushan in January 1991 and the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2007.

Born on January 10, 1929, Nariman served as the additional solicitor general from 1972 to 1975, resigning from the post a day after the imposition of Emergency on June 26, 1975. He was enrolled as an advocate at the Bombay High Court in November 1950 and designated as a senior advocate in 1961. Nariman practiced law for over 70 years, initially in the Bombay High Court and later, from 1972, in the Supreme Court.

Nariman's son, Rohinton Nariman, also served as a judge of the Supreme Court.

Notably, Nariman played pivotal roles in historic judicial proceedings such as the Golaknath case and the Kesavananda Bharati case, where the Supreme Court delivered groundbreaking judgments that safeguarded the rights of citizens. In the Kesavananda Bharati case, he assisted noted advocate Nanabhoy Palkhivala, leading to a landmark judgment that established the "basic structure doctrine" of the Constitution, limiting Parliament's power to amend the Constitution.

In the Bhopal gas tragedy case of 1984, Nariman represented Union Carbide and facilitated a settlement between the victims and the company outside court, though he later acknowledged it as a mistake.
In addition to his legal endeavours, Nariman represented Karnataka in the Cauvery water dispute case and advocated for the Parsi community in their Covid-19-related concerns.

His demise was mourned by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, who described him as a "great giant of an intellectual." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and several other dignitaries expressed their condolences, acknowledging Nariman's invaluable contributions to the legal fraternity and the nation at large.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to Nariman, highlighting his profound impact on landmark cases and his unwavering commitment to constitutional principles and civil liberties.