Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li><keyword id="53964" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Soli-Sorabjee">Soli Sorabjee</keyword>, the <keyword id="2500151" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Former-Attorney-General-of-India">former Attorney General of India</keyword>, passed away on 30 April at the age of 91 due to complications from COVID-19.</li><li>The Padma Vibhushan awardee is most recognised for his work defending people’s freedom of expression as well as human rights. </li><li>Sorabjee is also one of the few well known names in the profession who have openly opposed lawyers that charge big bucks.</li></ul>Former <keyword id="458351" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Attorney-General-of-India">Attorney General of India</keyword>, Soli Sorabjee, passed away on Friday, at the age of 91 due to COVID-19 related issues. “He will be remembered as a legend who added strength to the pillars of democracy. I pay my deep respects to the departed soul. Condolences to the family, friends and fans,” said the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana. Sorabjee had a career that spanned across seven decades during which he served two terms as the Attorney General, once from 1989 to 1990 and again from 1998 to 2004. “Despite possessing a different political persuasion, Soli [Sorabjee] has steadfastly believed in Voltaire [sic] famous dictum that he would disagree violently with anyone but defend to death that person’s right to disagree with him,” said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior Member of Parliament (MP) and senior advocate in the Supreme Court, in a <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/straight-candid/down-the-memory-lane-reminiscing-soli-sorabjee/?source=app&amp;frmapp=yes">Times of India</a> op-ed. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Work in the field of human rights and freedom of expression" comment="subhead" text="Work in the field of human rights and freedom of expression">Work in the field of human rights and freedom of expression</cmsannotation> Sorabjee is known for his work in the area of the protection of human rights and freedom of speech — an endeavour that eventually won him the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, in March 2002. “If Soli was forced to choose amongst his many passions, I would guess freedom of speech and press would be his choice. His commitment to it has been unfailing and unflagging, never affected by the vicissitudes of contemporary ambiance or the burdens and exigencies of high office,” noted Singhvi. Sorabjee is also one of the few well known names in the profession who have openly opposed lawyers that charge big bucks. According to him, anyone charging ₹30 to ₹40 lakh is in the business of extortion. "If a man is willing to be robbed, will you be a thief," he <a href="https://www.shiksha.com/law/articles/5-famous-indian-lawyers-and-where-they-studied-blogId-8656">said.</a> The man has many a feather in his cap, including being the chairman of Berlin-based nonprofit organisation Transparency International and the convenor of the Minority Rights Group, in addition to being the <a href="https://www.un.org/press/en/1997/19971020.HRCN814.html">special rapporteur </a>to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) since 1997. He also worked on the Citizen’s Justice Committee, which represented pro bono — without any legal fees — the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The champion for freedom of speech and expression also defended the press in many landmark Supreme Court cases revoking censorship orders and bans on publications. The most recent example of this was lawyer and activist <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/supreme-court-holds-prashant-bhushan-guilty-of-contempt-of-court-punishment-to-be-announced-on-august-20/articleshow/77539437.cms">Prashant Bhushan’s case</a>. Before the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/supreme-court-tests-prashant-bhushans-resolve-with-a-1-fine-for-critical-tweets/articleshow/77846880.cms">₹1 verdict</a> came in, Sorabjee felt the apex institution overreacted over a couple of tweets. “The court may at most give a lecture to Prashant (Bhushan) now. Warn him, but not punish him… It is a rather delicate balance to keep,” he told <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/soli-sorabjee-interview-supreme-court-overreacted-in-prashant-bhushan-contempt-case/article32420327.ece?homepage=true">The Hindu. </a> Sorabjee was born on 9 March 1930 and after studying at St. Xavier’s College and the Government Law College in Mumbai, he enrolled at the Bar in 1953. Zora Mody, Sorabjee’s daughter, is also a lawyer and a published author. She wrote the book 10 Judgements that Changed India. Sorabjee also has three granddaughters — Anjali, Aarti and Aditi.

Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee passes away at 91

NEW DELHI: <keyword id="2540" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="President">President</keyword> Pranab Mukherjee may not invite the single largest pre-poll combination to form the government unless it provides letters of support from more parties to prove that it has the required numbers. 
 
After extensive consultations on how to ascertain who is best suited to provide a stable government in a hung House scenario, Mukherjee seems to have concluded that the contenders for power ought to back up their claims of majority support by producing letters of support from their post-poll allies. 
 
“He wants to make sure that those who stake claim to form government actually enjoy majority support in the House,” said a source familiar with the details of the deliberations Mukherjee has been holding in order to ensure that the next regime turns out to be a stable one. 
 
He has been advised that this could be done only by seeking letters of support from post-poll alliance partners, as was done on an earlier occasion. 
 After Rajiv Gandhi refused to form government despite <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> emerging as the single largest party in 1989, the then president R Venkataraman invited V P Singh to form government as the leader of Janata Dal, which managed to cobble together a post-poll alliance. 
 
The precedent was followed by Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1996 to invite Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led BJP to form the government even though it had only 161 members and absolutely no chance of reaching the magic figure of 272. BJP was surprised by the invite, though it grabbed the opportunity to form the first-ever saffron regime at the Centre. With the “secular” parties combining against him, Vajpayee’s government quit after 13 days. 
 
Sharma’s successor KR Narayanan chose to play safe when Vajpayee staked his second claim two years later, and insisted on seeing letters of support even when the BJP-led NDA pre-poll alliance had won the majority. 
 The use of the same yardstick by Narayanan a year later resulted in huge embarrassment for Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The Congress president had claimed she had the support of 272 but with SP chief <keyword id="25541" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mulayam-singh">Mulayam Singh</keyword> Yadav backing out at the last minute, came short when the President asked for letters of support. 
 
 
 
 
 
When contacted by TOI, noted constitutional expert and former attorney general Soli J Sorabjee suggested that producing letters of support may not be necessary if the President is satisfied that the single largest party or pre-poll coalition holds the prospect of providing a viable government after an election which fails to throw up an outright winner. 
 
“If the President is satisfied on that count, then there is no need to seek letters of support from post-poll alliance partners. After inviting the largest coalition or party to form government, he could given them reasonable time, say a week or two, to prove its majority on the floor of the House,” Sorabjee said. 
 “The President need not test the strength of the party or coalition in the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> before inviting it to form government. The test of strength is in the House and not in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Though, there is nothing in the Constitution which bars the President from seeking letters of support from post-poll alliance partners, it sounds a little unethical,” he added.

You Searched For "Soli Sorabjee" and got 2 results

Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee passes away at 91

BI India Bureau

President To Seek Allies’ Support Letters If Nobody Gets Majority

Times Of India

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides