Legal luminary and veteran advocate Fali S. Nariman passed away here on Wednesday at the age of 95.
He had been grappling with multiple ailments, including cardiac issues.
In his extensive and illustrious legal career, Nariman presented arguments in several landmark cases, including the notable case of the National Judicial Appointments Commission, which was invalidated by the Supreme Court.
Born on January 10, 1929, Nariman served as the additional solicitor general between 1972 and 1975. He resigned from the post during the emergency.
Nariman was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in January 1991, and in 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
His son, Rohinton Nariman, served as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Fali Nariman initiated his legal practice at the Bombay High Court and later relocated to Delhi. He was appointed the Solicitor General of India in 1972. Fali Nariman resigned in 1975 to protest then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's decision to declare an Emergency. The veteran lawyer also served as the President of the Bar Association from 1991 to 2010.
Senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi expressed his sorrow over Fali Nariman's demise, describing it as the "end of an era."
"End of an era-#falinariman passes away, a living legend who will forever be in the hearts and minds of those in law and public life. Above all his diverse achievements, he stuck to his principles unwaveringly and called a spade a spade, a quality shared by his brilliant son," Mr Singhvi wrote.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta remarked that the nation has lost a "towering figure of intellect and wisdom." "The country has lost an epitome of what righteousness stood for. The legal fraternity is intellectually poorer today," Mr Mehta said.
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