FALI S NARIMAN Syllabus GS Paper 2 – Judiciary)

Context: Eminent jurist and senior advocate of the Supreme Court Fali S Nariman has died. He was 95.

Fali S Nariman

• Early Life: Born in Rangoon in 1929.
• Education: He completed schooling from the prestigious Bishop Cotton School in Shimla and then completed a Bachelor's in Arts from Mumbai's St Xavier's College. He got his law degree from Government Law College, also in Mumbai.
• Legal Career Trajectory: He started his legal career in 1950 as an advocate, practising in Bombay High Court. His exceptional expertise earned him the designation of senior advocate in 1961. He moved to the Supreme Court as a Senior Advocate in 1971, a position he retained till the end.
• Political Stand and Noteworthy Actions: He served as Additional Solicitor General of India from 1972 to 1975, when he stepped down to protest the Emergency imposed by the then Indira Gandhi government. 

oA crucial case he was part of was the legal battle in the aftermath of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy that killed at least 3,800 people and affected lakhs.

• Legal System and Judicial Independence: He was part of was the challenge to the Constitutional amendment to set about a National Judicial Appointments Commission to replace the Collegium system for appointing judges. Arguing against the new system, the jurist had said the proposed commission would be a "complete anathema to judicial independence".
• Recognition: He was a nominated member of Rajya Sabha between 1999 and 2005 and served on multiple legal panels.
• Honours: Highest civilian awards, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.