Ahmedabad, Oct 31 Supreme Court Justice N V Anjaria on Saturday unveiled ‘Shri Suresh Shelat: A Legacy Remembered’, a memoir chronicling the life and legacy of late Suresh Shelat, who served as the Advocate General of Gujarat, calling him his “professional father”.
Referring to Shelat’s professional conduct, Anjaria said it is a lesson for the “neo-intellectualism that has gained currency in recent times”.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, Acting Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Manash Ranjan Pathak, Advocate General to Gujarat Kamal Trivedi and Padma Bhushan awardee cardiologist Tejas Patel were present at the book launch here. The event was organised by Shelat’s daughter and Gujarat High Court Justice Vaibhavi Nanavati and her family.
Justice Anjaria, who began his legal career in the Gujarat HC by joining Shelat’s chamber, recalled his teachings and shared professional and personal anecdotes.
“I would say I have two fathers — my real father, who taught me the alphabet of law, and Suresh Shelat, my professional father, from whom I learnt the language of law,” Anjaria told the gathering at Thakorbhai Desai Hall.
Recalling Shelat’s professional conduct, Anjaria said one of his most outstanding qualities was that he never criticised judges, made disparaging remarks about fellow lawyers or spoke ill of the institution.
“This is a lesson for the neo-intellectualism that has gained currency in recent times, characterised by the tendency to demean and denigrate one’s own institution,” he added
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also has deep roots in Gujarat’s legal fraternity, described Shelat as a rare example of a “saintly lawyer”.
Mehta industry, integrity, character and humility defined the senior advocate.
(PTI News)
