The right to dissent is the hallmark of Democracy: Former CJI Lalit

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23: A right for free expression is the mark of democracy and former Attorney General of India, Soli J Sorabjee was a firm believer and upholder of this right, said former Chief Justice of India, UU Lalit at the Soli J Sorbajee Memorial lecture organised by the Jindal Global Law School, OP Jindal Global University recently.

Justice Lalit delved into his personal interactions, the public judgments and writings of Sorabjee to demonstrate his deep understanding of the Constitution and the laws of the country.

UU Lalit said that Sorabjee was committed to upholding the tenets of the law and his most significant work has been in the area of freedom of expression. It needs to be said that some of his arguments and cases belong to the era when the Emergency had been enforced, Justice Lalit remembered.

He recalled how important research and preparation was to Sorabjee who ensured that the members of his team followed due process and his belief in the rule of law. His writing on protecting the right to dissent and freedom of expression lay in the foundation of democracy itself in Greece.

Meanwhile, Professor Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar, OP Jindal Global University spoke about the high-level contribution made by Soli J Sorabjee to the study and practice of law in India and how his erudition and knowledge upheld the law as well.

Professor SG Sreejith, Executive Dean, Jindal Global Law School spoke about the intellectual aura and respect with which young law students saw Soli J Sorabjee.

Not many of us had the good fortune to know him or work with him in his chambers but we have had the opportunity to be able to read his writing and interpretations of the law. His legacy as a jurist, legal expert and the Attorney General of India will be long and enduring, he added.

The occasion was also marked by announcing the recipient of the 2024 Soli J Sorabjee Endowment Award & Scholarship, established to honour the memory of renowned Jurist and former Attorney General for India, Soli J Sorabjee.

This Award and Scholarship is awarded annually to a student in the field of Human Rights Law & Theory, offered as part of the undergraduate programmes at the Jindal Global Law School.

This year the award was given to Khushi Doshi of the Jindal Global Law School. (PTI)