Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 12

The Bar and Bench came together on Thursday to bid adieu to Justice RF Nariman who demitted office as a Supreme Court judge after more than seven years.

“I am a little overwhelmed… On his retirement, I feel like I am losing one of the lions who guarded the judicial institution,” Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said in his farewell address.

Describing Justice Nariman as “a man of principles” who is committed to what is right, the CJI said he was one of the strong pillars of the contemporary judicial system.

“We are losing a brilliant judge,” said Supreme Court Advocates’ Association (SCBA) chief Vikas Singh.

Justice Nariman had reportedly insisted on elevation of two senior-most HC judges—Karnataka HC Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Tripura High Court Chief Justice Akil Kureshi—to the top court before any other names were cleared for elevation.

Justice Nariman said merit should be the predominant criterion in judicial appointments. “For that, it is very clear, merit must predominate, subject to other factors. But merit always comes first,” he said, adding, “It’s time more direct appointees are elevated to the Bench”.

He said these seven years were the most gruelling years of his life. “It is no cakewalk. When I was on this (lawyer) side I had no concept of what was on the other side. I have been on both sides. This side (judges) is much more difficult. You have to read much more. I enjoyed writing judgments and at the end, it worked out well,” he said.

Attorney General KK Venugopal, who mentored Justice Nariman as a lawyer and was described by the latter as his “guru”, heaped praise on praise on his “disciple”.

Born on August 13, 1956, Justice Nariman was appointed as a Supreme Court judge on July 7, 2014. He disposed of over 13,500 cases and delivered historic verdicts, including those on declaration of privacy as a fundamental right, setting aside of IT Act provision empowering arrests, decriminalising consensual gay sex and permitting women of all ages to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple.