Nani Palkhivala the Courtroom Genius  (English, Paperback, Sorabjee Soli J.)

Nani Palkhivala The Courtroom Genius is a biographical account of India’s most famous jurist, Nanabhoy Palkhivala.

Summary Of The Book

Nani Palkhivala The Courtroom Genius is a first hand account about an individual who was brilliant in the academic, economic, and legal arenas.

Nanabhoy A. Palkhivala was born and brought up in Bombay. He was a scholar who was affected by a stammer, a condition which he eventually overcame. After obtaining a Master’s degree in English Literature, he applied for a lecturer’s position at Bombay University, but was rejected. As a result, Nanabhoy decided to pursue his higher studies at Government Law College in Bombay. It was during his studies here that Nanabhoy discovered he had a gift for jurisprudence.

After entering the bar association in 1944, Nanabhoy quickly earned a reputation for his eloquence, articulation, and the ability to remember barely-known facts. His popularity continued to grow in the courts of Sir Jamshedji Kanga. Here, Nanabhoy quickly earned a reputation for his immense concentration and persuasion abilities, leaving a permanent mark in the legal arena. Nanabhoy had a reputation for fighting constitutional law cases. Some of his most notable cases were Golak Nath, Privy Purses, and Kesavananda Bharati, including representing India during 3 international disputes. He practiced as a lawyer for over five decades.

Palkhivala was also a prominent economist. During his studies, he was initially interested in income tax and commercial laws. Palkhivala’s most prominent and well known books were written when he was just 30 years old, titled The Law And Practice of Income Tax.

The text is organized into 9 chapters. These chapter titles are Secrets of Palkhivala’s Success, Palkhivala as Defendant: The Sampath Iyengar Copyright Case, Meteoric Rise to Legal Stardom, Extraordinary Child and Lawyer by Accident, Labour Cases, Constitutional Law Cases, Income Tax Matters, and Representing India: International Cases.

In Nani Palkhivala The Courtroom Genius, readers will get a rare glimpse into Palkhivala’s advocacy style, his legal journey, and how his cases changed the legal domain of India.

About The Authors

Soli J. Sorabjee is an author and India’s former Attorney General. At one time, he was also the Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court.

He is also the author of The Laws Of Press Censorship In India, Law and Justice and The Emergency, Censorship and the Press in India.
Sorabjee studied at Government Law College in Mumbai. He came to the bar in 1953. During his lengthy legal career, he was also the Solicitor General of India. At present, Sorabjee is the President of the United Lawyers Association, and the Vice President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. In 2002, Sorabjee was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. In 2006, he was also appointed as an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia. He is also a writer for Indian Express.

Arvind P Dattar is an author and Senior Advocate in the Madras High Court.

He has also authored Guide To Central Excise Law And Practice and Datar Commentary On Constitution Of India.

Dattar is also the Trustee of the Palkhivala Foundation and the Director of Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre.