Former Chief Justice of India AM Ahmadi passes away

IANS

Advertisement

New Delhi, March 2

Having begun his judicial career as a City Civil and Session Court judge in Ahmedabad, he was the only Chief Justice of India who started at the very lowest rank to rise to the highest position of the Indian judiciary.

Justice Ahmadi was a felicitated jurist not only in India but across the world. He was invited by various international organisations, including UNO and World Bank, to lead special projects. He was the recipient of honours from highly reputable legal institutions, such as American Inn of Laws and Middle Temple Inn of Honorable Society of Middle Temple, London.

Apart from receiving the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from six of the most reputable Indian universities, he was the author of numerous path-breaking judgments. His expertise was wide ranging from constitutional law to human rights, freedom of speech, criminal, taxation, centre-state and interstate relations. He was also the Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

A man of principles, he did not shy away from controversial judgments. He dissented in the judges’ case, wrote a separate judgment in the Bommai’s case, passed the midnight judgment against General Vaidya’s assassins and formed a part of the minority in a judgment relating to Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act to be unconstitutional.

Apart from being one of the longest-serving Chief Justices of India, he also shouldered the responsibility of heading various Commissions and was contributing actively in the field of Arbitrations till the end of his life.