Shri Soli Sorabjee was an outstanding lawyer and intellectual. Through law, he was at the forefront of helping the poor and downtrodden. He will be remembered for his noteworthy tenures India’s Attorney General. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2021
Former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee, one of India’s most brilliant legal minds, died this morning of Covid. He was 91 years old.
Soli Sorabjee, a senior lawyer and Padma Vibhushan recipient, was being treated at a private hospital in Delhi.
As his court convened this morning, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana paid tribute to Soli Sorabjee. “It’s unfortunate. Soli Sorabjee, a legal luminary and human rights activist, has died. May the soul of his departed soul rest in peace “According to the Chief Justice.
Soli Jehangir Sorabjee was born in 1930 in Mumbai. In 1953, he began his legal career with the Bombay High Court. The Supreme Court appointed him as senior counsel in 1971.
Mr. Sorabjee served as Attorney General twice, first in 1989 and again from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Sorabjee, a dedicated human rights lawyer, was appointed as the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Nigeria in 1997.
He became a member of the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and served as its chairman from 1998 to 2004. He also served on the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities. From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Sorabjee was a member of the United Nations World Court, also known as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
In 2002, he was appointed to the Commission to Review the Working of the Indian Constitution. He was involved in many landmark Supreme Court cases, arguing for free speech and press freedom, limiting the state’s police power, and a vibrant democracy free of overreach by Prime Ministers and Governors.
He was a prolific writer who was well-known for his love of jazz.
“Soli J Sorabjee held the position of Attorney General of India twice and did so with distinction.” His humane and compassionate demeanor characterized his legal work. His body of work in defending fundamental rights and human rights spans nearly seven decades and is internationally renowned.
