Justice K.V. Viswanathan delivers Soli J. Sorabjee Memorial Lecture organised by JGU

Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.V. Viswanathan, Judge, Supreme Court of India, delivered the Soli J. Sorabjee Memorial Lecture organised by JGU on October 14 to honour the memory of renowned jurist and former Attorney General of India.

In his speech, Justice Viswanathan said: “Soli J. Sorabjee was a defender of the Constitution and human liberties. 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.”

Justice Viswanathan also awarded the Soli J. Sorabjee Endowment Award & Scholarship instituted by JGU to Ms. Pragati Thapa for securing highest score in the course ‘Human Rights Law & Theory’ at Jindal Global Law School (JGLS). The Soli J. Sorabjee Endowment Award and Scholarship has been established with the aid of a generous endowment instituted by Mr. Satvik Varma, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, in his personal capacity for a period of 20 years.

The Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar observed: “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.”

Mr. Satvik Varma recalled that he established the Soli. J. Sorabjee Endowment at JGLS to recognise the importance of providing quality legal education for students. “This award recognises the academic achievement of a student in the field of human rights, which was an area closer to 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, JGLS, recalled the intellectual convictions and sensibilities of Soli Sorabjee and the depth that he brought to the subject. “Sorabjee had unwavering faith in the emancipatory powers of the Constitution and 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 a panel discussion moderated by Vice Chancellor Professor (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 Advocate, Supreme Court of India.

Watch Soli Sorabjee Memorial Lecture: https://l.jgu.edu.in/Soli-J-Sorabjee-Memorial-Lecture-2023