Menu

Rohinton Fali Nariman Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Quick Info→
Wife: Sanaya Nariman
Age: 68 Years
Hometown: Mumbai

Rohinton Fali Nariman

Bio/Wiki
Name earnedRenaissance Man [1]The Hindu
Profession• Former Judge of Supreme Court of India
• Lawyer
Physical Stats & More
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourBlack (semi-bald)
Judicial Service
Service Years1979-2021
Designation(s)• Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India (15 December 1993)
• Solicitor General of India (27 July 2011 – 4 February 2013)
• Judge of the Supreme Court of India (7 July 2014 – 12 August 2021)
Notable Judgement(s)• Freedom of Speech
The rule that let Indian police arrest people for sending annoying or inconvenient emails or messages was canceled by two judges in the Supreme Court of India, Nariman and Jasti Chelameswar. They said that a part of the Information Technology Act, Section 66A, which gave up to three years in jail for similar things, was against the constitution. [2]BBC [3]The Guardian [4]Hindustan Times According to Nariman and Chelameswar,
"What may be offensive to one may not be offensive to another. What may cause annoyance or inconvenience to one may not cause annoyance or inconvenience to another." [5]The Hindu

• Triple Talaq
In a notable decision regarding Triple Talaq, Justice Nariman disagreed with the practice of Triple Talaq and said,
"Triple Talaq is a disapproved form of divorce. Even Hanafi law deems triple talaq as sinful. The 1937 Act recognizes triple talaq and therefore does not violate Article 13. It is not possible for the court to fold its hands when petitioners come to court. The practice of triple talaq is harmful and can be examined through legislation." [6]India [7]NDTV

• Sabarimala Verdict
In the well-known 'Sabarimala Case,' he said that the custom of not allowing women of menstruating age to enter the Sabarimala temple broke several rules of the Indian Constitution.
"Bona fide criticism of a judgment, albeit of the highest court of the land, is certainly permissible, but thwarting, or encouraging persons to thwart, the directions or orders of the highest court cannot be countenanced in our Constitutional scheme of things." [8]News18 [9]Scroll
Personal Life
Date of Birth13 August 1956 (Monday)
Age (as of 2023)68 Years
BirthplaceBombay, Bombay State (now Mumbai, Maharashtra), India.
Zodiac signLeo
NationalityIndian
HometownMumbai
SchoolCathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai
College/University• Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi
• Campus Law Centre of Faculty of Law, University of Delhi
• Harvard Law School
Educational Qualification(s)• B.Com. from Shri Ram College of Commerce
• Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) from University of Delhi
• Master of Laws (L.L.M.) from Harvard Law School [10]Supreme Court Observer
EthnicityParsi [11]The Print
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Family
Wife/SpouseSanaya Nariman
Rohinton Fali Nariman with Sanaya Nariman
ParentsFather- Fali Sam Nariman (Indian jurist annd senior advocate of the Supreme Court; died on 21 February 2024) [12]The New Indian Express
Mother- Bapsi F. Nariman (died in 2020) [13]Economic Times
Fali S Nariman with his wife
SiblingsSister- Anaheeta

Rohinton Fali Nariman

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rohinton Fali Nariman

  • Rohinton Fali Nariman is the son of the late Indian jurist Fali S Nariman.
  • While pursuing L.L.M. at Harvard University, he was taught by famous professors such as Laurence Tribe and Roberto Mangabeira Unger.
  • In 1979, Nariman started working as a lawyer after joining the Bar.
  • The Times of India praised him as one of the top ten lawyers of his time. [14]The Times of India
  • After his year at Harvard, he worked as a maritime lawyer in New York at Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens for a year.
  • He became a senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India on 15 December 1993, at just 37 years old. Chief Justice Manepalli Narayana Rao Venkatachaliah changed the rules to appoint Nariman since the usual minimum age for such designation in the Supreme Court was 45. [15]Parsi Khabar
  • Nariman practised law for more than 30 years and has contributed to over 500 reported Supreme Court judgments.
  • He is highly skilled in Comparative Constitutional Law and Civil Law and has argued many important cases, including significant constitutional bench judgments like P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra and State of Punjab v. Devans Modern Breweries Ltd.
  • He has handled the well-known gas-sharing dispute between Anil Ambani’s Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited. [16]The Indian Express
  • He also established the Supreme Court Lawyers Welfare Trust, which aims to support new talent and ensure the welfare of lawyers.
  • At the age of 55, he served as the Solicitor General of India. Nariman resigned from this position on 4 February 2013, after eighteen months of service. The exact reason for his resignation is not publicly known, although there were speculations of a strained relationship with the Law Minister Ashwani Kumar. [17]NDTV
  • On 7 July 2014, he was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India, becoming the fifth justice to be directly promoted from the Bar to the Supreme Court. [18]Livemint He reached the retirement age of 65 on 12 August 2021.
  • In November 2016, he published a book called ‘The Inner Fire: Faith, Choice, and Modern-Day Living in Zoroastrianism,’ focusing on the Zoroastrian religion.

    Cover of the book 'The Inner Fire - Faith, Choice, and Modern-Day Living in Zoroastrianism'

    Cover of the book ‘The Inner Fire – Faith, Choice, and Modern-Day Living in Zoroastrianism’

  • On 11 November 2022, he was felicitated during the Tarkunde Memorial lecture at the India International Center in New Delhi.

    Rohinton Fali Nariman being felicitated at the India International Center

    Rohinton Fali Nariman being felicitated at the India International Center

References/Sources:[+]