Justice KT Desai Memorial Lecture 2008: Soli Sorabjee
Mr Soli J. Sorabjee, Senior Advocate and former Attorney General of India will deliver the Justice KT Desai Centenary Memorial Lecture 2008 on The Rule of Law: Its Dimensions and Facets.
The lecture will be held on Monday, March 17, 2008 at 5:30 pm in the Central Court Room No.46, 2nd Floor, High Court, Bombay. The Hon’ble the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar will preside.
Mr. R.A. Dada, President of the Bombay Bar Association will provide the introductory remarks, and Mr. S.P. Thorat, President of the Advocates’ Association of Western India, will propose a vote of thanks.
The lecture is organized by the Justice KT Desai Centenary Committee and is open to all.
Justice K.T. Desai
Born in May 1903 and educated in Bombay, Justice K.T. Desai passed the Articled Clerks’ examination of the Bombay High Court in 1928. He was enrolled as Advocate on the Original Side of the Bombay High Court in 1930.
Justice K.T. Desai soon had a large and flourishing Original Side practice at the Bar. Widely acknowledged as a brilliant lawyer in various areas of specialization, he achieved particularly great renown in commercial law. His acute forensic skills and capacity for great industry soon made him one of the foremost lawyers of the Bombay High Court.
In 1957, Justice K.T. Desai was appointed to the Bench of the Bombay High Court. On the creation of the State of Gujarat in May 1960, Justice K.T. Desai was appointed a Jude of the Gujarat High Court. Later, the Government of India appointed him President of the National Bank Tribunal. Justice K.T. Desai was appointed Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court of January 26, 1961.
Justice Desai’s ability to unravel quickly and accurately the complexities of the case before him and his unfailing courtesy earned him the respect of the Bar, while his lively sense of self-deprecating humour earned him the Bar’s affection. At a Bar dinner to felicitate him, he revealed that he was acutely conscious of his duties and, particularly, the maxim that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done—he therefore insisted that on a cushion being placed on his seat.
Fortunately, this remained only in jest: for, as Justice K.T. Desai showed, stature in men—and perhaps particularly judges—is unrelated to physical height.