Soli Sorabjee: “Persuasive advocate of individual liberties”, “voice of sanity”

The former attorney general of India passed away on Friday at the age of 91 in a Delhi hospital after contracting Covid-19. Lawyers remember him as an extraordinary jurist and affable mentor

Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee passed away on Friday at the age of 91 after contracting the coronavirus. He had been receiving treatment at a private hospital in South Delhi. 

Born in Mumbai in 1930, Soli started his career at the Bombay High Court in 1953. An expert of constitutional law, he fought the landmark Keshavananda Bharati, IR Coehlo, and SR Bommai cases, among others. He is remembered for having successfully represented, at no charge, many newspapers and magazines that had come in conflict with the censors during the Emergency in 1975. Known for his work on human rights, Sorabjee was appointed by the UN as a special rapporteur for Nigeria to report on the human rights conditions in the country in 1997. From 1998-2004, he also became the chairman of the UN sub-committee on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights. 

“He was an extraordinary lawyer. His contributions in the field of individual liberties are something that will always be remembered by the people who were close to these causes,” said lawyer and politician Kapil Sibal who knew him closely. “I don’t think there has been any lawyer who has been as persuasive in the matters of personal liberty. And, of course, extremely pleasant. Whenever he would meet me, he would ask me about my children, family,” Sibal recalled. 

“Civil liberties and fundamental rights mattered a lot to him. He was a voice of sanity. It is a big loss,” reiterated Jehangir Patel, editor of Parsiana, a Mumbai-based community magazine. Patel first became acquainted with Sorabjee and his commitment to democracy in 1975, when Patel was working as a publisher and assistant editor with statesman and politician Minoo Masani on the magazine ‘Freedom First’. “When the Emergency was declared, Masani filed a petition in the Bombay High Court saying the Centre can’t have unlimited rights. Soli fought the case for us pro-bono and won,” he remembered. “He was always very supportive of the Parsi community. He was very affable, very down to earth and had no pretentions.” 

Soli Sorabjee (extreme left in the middle row).This is Union Committee of Government Law College (1950-51). Pic Courtesy: Rajan Jayakar

The Supreme Court also paid homage to Sorabjee. A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and justices Surya Kant and AS Bopanna, just before the start of the day's court proceedings via video conference, said, “It a very sad news that human rights fighter Soli has passed away this morning. We pray for the gentle soul.”
Sorabjee had been an important mentor figure for many. “(He) was one of the biggest mentors under whose protective shade many talents were nurtured. His chamber juniors include Harish Salve, Uday Lalit, among many other advocates,” senior Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde noted. Rajan Jayakar, a Mumbai-based solicitor and historian, agreed, terming Sorabjee’s passing as a “colossal loss”. He recalled that Sorabjee actively attended public meetings during the Emergency, where he encouraged young lawyers including Jayakar to speak their mind. 

Besides the law, Sorabjee was fascinated by jazz. He was among the leading organisers of the annual Jazz Yatra, a week-long music festival which was held every year from 1978 to 2003. “He showed how essential it was to have a life outside the legal practice. He was the foremost proponent of jazz in India, had an amazing taste in literature and was an amazing raconteur of stories,” Hedge added. In 2002, Sorabjee was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour in the country. He is survived by his wife Zena Sorabjee and three children. 

A few expressed their condolences on Twitter as well: 

Soli Sorabjee, a legal giant of our time passed away today, after some days in hospital due to Covid. He was a good friend & very affectionate. The photo is of when my father & I visited him 4 months back pic.twitter.com/3ErZYXUits

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) April 30, 2021

Saddened by news that former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee has passed away after a recent bout of #Covid. A man of uncommon ability & integrity, he stood for principled public values. (And we shared a birthday.) A giant has departed. RIP Soli. https://t.co/9YWxqllI7J

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 30, 2021

(With inputs from PTI)

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