Born on January 10, 1929, in Rangoon, Myanmar. Recipient of Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, a former President of Bar Association of India, a former Rajya Sabha member, and a Senior Supreme Court Advocate, Mr. Nariman witnessed a remarkable journey for over seven decades in shaping the course of legal jurisprudence in India.
From his undoubted intellect to unwavering dedication, Mr. Nariman have inspired generations of lawyers to uphold the principles of justice and the spirit of our Constitution. Below is a brief recollection of the legendary work by Mr. Nariman that paved the path for numerous others to aspire.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞:
Mr. Nariman represented the petitioners for seeking preservation of fundamental rights. It challenged the 17th Constitution Amendment Act 1964 as it amended Article 31A of the constitution. A majority of 6 out of the 11-judge bench, of the Supreme Court of India affirmed that Parliament cannot curtail fundamental rights of citizens.
𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐍𝐉𝐀𝐂) 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞:
The NJAC Act 2014 amended the Constitution to insert Article 124A which created a six-person commission for judicial appointments. Mr. Nariman represented the case argued that the NJAC would invade with the independence of the judiciary, a basic structure of the Constitution. In 2015, four of the five judges on the constitution bench agreed with this view and accordingly struck down the NJAC, reinstating the collegium system for judge appointments.
Mr. Nariman has demonstrated his grit on more than just these occasions. With his booming voice, profound intellect and clarity of mind, he was fondly considered the 𝑩𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒂 𝑷𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒉 of Indian judiciary. His demise on February 21, 2024, at the age of 95, leaves a legacy. Nevertheless, the evergreen legacy of his contributions to the Indian legal system will persist as a symbol of excellence and integrity.
Mr. Nariman’s influence goes beyond the courtroom. His legacy is very well encapsulated in his autobiography “𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬,” wherein he states that “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘺.”
May his soul rest in peace! We at Regstreet Law Advisors take a moment to pay tribute to the legend!