Eminent jurist and senior advocate of the Supreme Court Fali S Nariman has died. He was 95.
His funeral will take place at 10 am on Thursday at the Parsi Aramgah in New Delhi.
In a post on X on Wednesday, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said it was “an end of an era”.
“A living legend who wl (will) forever be in hearts &minds of those in law & public life. Above all his diverse achievements, he stuck to his principles unwaveringly &called a spade a spade, a quality shared by his brilliant son,” he said in the post.
On his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Nariman “among the most outstanding legal minds and intellectuals”.
“He devoted his life to making justice accessible to common citizens. I am pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. May his soul rest in peace,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also mourned Nariman’s death, saying he was “great giant of an intellectual”.
Nariman was born to a Parsi family in Myanmar on January 10, 1929. He started his law practice at the Bombay High Court.
When he was 38 years, below the minimum qualifying age, he declined an invitation to be a judge of the High Court.
He was a senior advocate of the Supreme Court since 1971 and had also served as President of the Bar Association of India from 1991 to 2010.
Nariman was a recipient of some of the country’s highest civilian awards, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
In his condolence message, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that “not only the legal fraternity but the nation has lost a towering figure of intellect and wisdom”.
“The country has lost an epitome of what righteousness stood for. A doyenne, paragon and a legend in his own lifetime has left us leaving jurisprudence enriched by his immense contribution,” he said.
The Solicitor General went on to say that he “always learnt something new by merely appearing even against” Nariman.
“Sharing the homemade butter milk brought by me from my home in the Supreme Court corridors while he regaled all of us with many past anecdotes in Gujarati is a cherished memory for me, though he used to come only occasionally since the last few years.
“His loving gesture of sending all the books written by him to me with his autographs will always remain a proud possession for me and even for my next generations.
“The legal fraternity is intellectually poorer today. Such intellectual giants do not die. They remain immortal through their contribution. There cannot be and will not be another Fali Nariman,” he added.
Also condoling the eminent jurist’s demise, former Law Minister and senior advocate, Kapil Sibal said, “a great son of India passes away”.
“Fali Nariman A great son of India passes away. Not just one of the greatest lawyers of our country but one of the finest human beings who stood like a colossus above all . The corridors of the court will never be the same without him. May his soul rest in peace,” Sibal added.
