“Defender of Constitutional and Human Liberties” Justice K.V. Viswanathan Remembers Soli J. Sorabjee at Memorial Lecture

Sonipat, 17 October, 2023: “Soli J. Sorabjee was a Defender of the Constitution and Human Liberties,” said Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.V. Viswanathan Judge, Supreme Court of India at the Soli J. Sorabjee Memorial Lecture organized by O.P Jindal Global University to honour the memory of renowned jurist and former Attorney General of India, Mr. Soli J. Sorabjee. “He was a champion of federalism, a defender of minority rights. He was a strong advocate for free and fair elections and a leader of the bar who fought for independence of judiciary. He had a deep sense of public service and was a strong supporter of free speech and will be remembered for his scholarship, his knowledge and his many landmark judgements. He was also a great protagonist of the value of fraternity— a value which was most visible during the Pandemic—as laid down in our Constitution. He deeply believed in the rule of law which for him was not just a legalistic slogan, but a noble concept and denoted a way of life”

Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.V. Viswanathan also awarded the Soli J. Sorabjee Endowment Award & Scholarship instituted by O.P. Jindal Global University to Ms. Pragati Thapa for securing highest score in the course, Human Rights Law & Theory, at the Jindal Global Law School. For Mr. Sorabjee, human rights were the conscience of the Constitution, and an independent judiciary, its conscience keeper. Therefore, the Scholarship and Award stands reminiscent of Soli Sorabjee’s achievements and his contributions to Human Rights advocacy in all its forms and an area of close interest to Mr. Sorabjee. Endowment Award and Scholarship has been established with the aid of a generous endowment instituted by Senior Advocate Mr. Satvik Varma in his personal capacity for a period of 20 years.

The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar observed that “the Distinguished Lecture Series is not just a way of remembering a legal luminary but also to celebrate a scholarly life dedicated to the promotion of rule of law. Those who have been associated Soli. J. Sorabjee were touched by his profound understanding of law and by his erudition. He is remembered for his contribution and commitment to advancing the cause of legal education and legal profession. Here today is present a galaxy of renowned legal experts who in one way or other were inspired by Mr. Sorabjee.”

Mr. Satvik Varma, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India recalled that he established the Soli. J. Sorabjee endowment at Jindal Global Law School to recognize the importance of providing quality legal education for students. “This award recognizes the academic achievement of a student in the field of human rights, which was an area closer to Mr. Sorabjee’s heart. This award will encourage future generations of lawyers to focus on human rights as an area of expertise.”

Professor (Dr.) S.G. Sreejith Executive Dean, Jindal Global Law School recalled the intellectual convictions and sensibilities of Mr. Soli Sorabjee and the depth that he brought to the subject. “Mr. Sorabjee had unwavering faith in the emancipatory powers of the Constitution—he was a constitutionalist in the true sense of the term. He cherished the maternity of democracy, the paternity of egalitarianism, and the tutelage of the constitution”.

The memorial lecture also included panel discussion moderated by Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr) C. Raj Kumar and included Mr. R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India, Ms. Madhavi Divan Senior Advocate Supreme Court of India and Mr. Satvik Varma Senior, Senior Advocate Supreme Court of India.

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