Ram Jethmalani
Encyclopedia
Ram Jethmalani,: राम जेठ्मलानी,(Sindhi
): رام جيٺملاڻي born 14 September 1923, in Shikharpur
in Sindh
, British India, (now in Pakistan
)) is an Indian lawyer and politician. He has served in various posts such as Union Law Minister
and Chairman of Bar Association
s. He has represented a sweep of cases from the high-profile to the controversial for which he has often faced severe criticism. He is the highest paid Indian lawyer. The family inherits its surname Jethmalani from Shri Jethmal who was a personality in Shikarpur, Pakistan and later a minister in Afghanistan
.
Ram Jethmalani is known as a legal personality. Jethmalani is considered a maverick and has many distinctions to his credit. He completed his law at an early age of 18 and started professing law there until the partition of India
after which when left his hometown and shifted to Bombay as a refugee
. He came to India with his family and began his life fresh. He married Ratna Jethmalani, his first wife, in 1947, and Durga, his second wife. He has 2 sons and 2 daughters, two of whom, Mahesh Jethmalani and Rani Jethmalani are also well known lawyers.
He was elected a member of parliament in 6th and 7th Lok Sabha
on a BJP ticket from Mumbai
. He has served as Law Minister of India and also as Minister of Urban Development during the Prime Ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
against whom he later on contested election in General Elections 0f 2004 from Lucknow constituency
. However in 2010 he came back to Bharatiya Janta Party and was elected to Rajya Sabha
on its ticket from Rajasthan
. He has also been criticsed as being opportunistic because of this.
He is a well known face amongst the legal community in India. Even though he is primarily known as only a criminal lawyer, he has appeared in many high profile cases. On 7 May 2010 he was elected to be the president of Supreme Court
Bar Association.
Ram Jethmalani was married at an age of little above 18, to Durga. Ratna Shehani, a lawyer
by profession was his second wife who he had married secretly on the eve of partition
. Polygamy
was then allowed in Pakistan
. His family included two wives and four children — three from Durga (Rani, Shobha, Mahesh) and one from Ratna (Janak).
in Pakistan
before partition
. He started his own law firm in Karachi
with his friend A.K. Brohi who was senior to him by six years. In February 1948, when the riots broke out in Karachi
, he fled to India on the advice of his friend Bodhi who later turned to be the Law Minister of Pakistan
Ram Jethmalani first came to spot light with his appearance in the famous K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra
case in 1959 with Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, later to become Chief Justice of India
. His later defence of a string of smugglers in the late 1960s established Jethmalani’s image as a ‘smuggler’s lawyer’. Even back then, he would point out that he was only doing his duty as a lawyer.
In 1953 he became a part-time professor
at the Government Law College, Mumbai
for both graduate and post graduate studies. He also taught Comparative law
at International Law at Wayne State University
in Detroit, Michigan
. He has also been the Chairman of Bar Council of India
for four tenures both before and after the emergency. He was also a member of International Bar Association 1996.
supported both by the Shiv Sena
and Bharatiya Jan Sangh but he lost the elections. During the Emergency period of 1975-1977, he was the chairman of the Bar Association of India. He heavily criticized the then Prime Minister of India
, Indira Gandhi
. An arrest warrant
was issued against him from Kerala
. It was stayed by the Bombay High Court
when over 300 lawyers led by Nani Palkhivala appeared for him. However the stay was nullified by the famous Habeas Corpus
judgment (Additional District Magistrate of Jabalpur v. Shiv Kant Shukla) and Ram Jethmalani exiled himself in the Canada carrying on his campaign against the Emergency. He returned 10 months later after Emergency was lifted. While in Canada, his candidature was filed from Bombay North-West constituency
. He won the election and retained the seat in 1980 General Elections
, but lost to Sunil Dutt
of the Indian National Congress
in 1985. In the 1977 general elections
after the Emergency, he ousted the serving Law Minister H.R. Gokhale from Bombay in the Lok Sabha
Elections and hence started his political career as a Parliamentarian. However he was not made law minister himself as Morarji Desai
disapproved of his lifestyle.
He became a member of Rajya Sabha
in 1988. He became The Union Minister of Law, Justice
and Company Affairs in 1996 in the Government of India
led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
. During the second tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
, he was given the portfolio of Union Minister of Urban Affairs and Employment in 1998. But on 13 October 1999 he was again sworn in as the Union Minister for Law, Justice
& Company Affairs. However he was asked to resign by the Prime Minister
following differences with the then Chief Justice of India
Adarsh Sein Anand and Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee
. It is believed that Jethmalani never enjoyed the confidence of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
. He was inducted into the Cabinet on Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani
's insistence.
He had also announced his candidature for President of India
stating "I owe it to the nation to offer my services" and launched his own political fronts, the Bharat Mukti Morcha, launched as a ‘mass movement’ in 1987 and in 1995 he launched his own political party called Pavitra Hindustan Kazhagam, with a motto to achieve “Transparency in functioning of Indian Democracy.”
In the General Elections of 2004
, he contested against Atal Bihari Vajpayee
from the Lucknow
constituency as an independent candidate
. Indian National Congress
and Samajwadi Party
did not field their candidates in this election. However he lost. Later on, in 2010, he was given a Rajya Sabha
ticket by Bharatiya Janta Party from Rajasthan
and he was selected.
and Ketan Parekh
), and a host of gangsters and smugglers including the British citizen Daisy Angus who was acquitted of hashish smuggling after serving 5 years in jail. He has also defended death sentence of Afzal Guru
a Pakistani terrorist convicted for 2001 Indian Parliament attack
. He also defended L.K Advani in Hawala Scam. Recently he was in the news for taking up the defense of Manu Sharma
, prime accused in the Jessica Lall murder case, however, he failed to get Manu Sharma acquitted. He is now going to be defending Lalit Modi
- former IPL
Chairman and Commissioner.
However Ram Jethmalani is of the opinion that he is someone who thinks independently, who has not mortgaged his soul or intelligence to anybody. He says "I decide according to my conscience who to defend. A lawyer who refuses to defend a person on the grounds that people believe him to be guilty is himself guilty of professional misconduct."
After he joined Bharatiya Janta Party in 2010, when he was asked why he had defended Afzal Guru
against his death sentence when his party was in support of it, he replied that he had meant that such indoctrinated elements (like Afzal) shouldn’t be allowed to die easily, but they should made to rot in jails
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
): رام جيٺملاڻي born 14 September 1923, in Shikharpur
Shikharpur
Shikharpur may refer to:*Shikharpur, Mahakali, Nepal*Shikharpur, Narayani, Nepal*Shikarpur, Pakistan, a town in the Shikarpur District of the Pakistani province of Sindh...
in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, British India, (now in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
)) is an Indian lawyer and politician. He has served in various posts such as Union Law Minister
Minister of Law and Justice (India)
The Minister of Law and Justice is the head of the Ministry of Law and Justice and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India....
and Chairman of Bar Association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
s. He has represented a sweep of cases from the high-profile to the controversial for which he has often faced severe criticism. He is the highest paid Indian lawyer. The family inherits its surname Jethmalani from Shri Jethmal who was a personality in Shikarpur, Pakistan and later a minister in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Ram Jethmalani is known as a legal personality. Jethmalani is considered a maverick and has many distinctions to his credit. He completed his law at an early age of 18 and started professing law there until the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
after which when left his hometown and shifted to Bombay as a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
. He came to India with his family and began his life fresh. He married Ratna Jethmalani, his first wife, in 1947, and Durga, his second wife. He has 2 sons and 2 daughters, two of whom, Mahesh Jethmalani and Rani Jethmalani are also well known lawyers.
He was elected a member of parliament in 6th and 7th Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
on a BJP ticket from Mumbai
Mumbai North West (Lok Sabha Constituency)
Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency is a constituency represented in the Lok Sabha of the Parliament of India, having approximately 1.6 million voters. The seat is currently represented by Gurudas Kamat-Assembly segments:...
. He has served as Law Minister of India and also as Minister of Urban Development during the Prime Ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
against whom he later on contested election in General Elections 0f 2004 from Lucknow constituency
Lucknow (Lok Sabha constituency)
Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh state in northern India-Assembly segments:Presently, Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency comprises five Vidhan Sabha segments...
. However in 2010 he came back to Bharatiya Janta Party and was elected to Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
on its ticket from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. He has also been criticsed as being opportunistic because of this.
He is a well known face amongst the legal community in India. Even though he is primarily known as only a criminal lawyer, he has appeared in many high profile cases. On 7 May 2010 he was elected to be the president of Supreme Court
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
Bar Association.
Life History
Ram Jethmalani got a double promotion in school and completed matriculation at the age of 13. He secured an LLB degree at the meager age of 17. At that time the minimum age for becoming a lawyer was 21 but special resolution allowed him to become a lawyer at 18.Ram Jethmalani was married at an age of little above 18, to Durga. Ratna Shehani, a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
by profession was his second wife who he had married secretly on the eve of partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. Polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
was then allowed in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. His family included two wives and four children — three from Durga (Rani, Shobha, Mahesh) and one from Ratna (Janak).
As a Lawyer
Ram Jethmalani started his career as a professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
before partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. He started his own law firm in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
with his friend A.K. Brohi who was senior to him by six years. In February 1948, when the riots broke out in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, he fled to India on the advice of his friend Bodhi who later turned to be the Law Minister of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Ram Jethmalani first came to spot light with his appearance in the famous K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra
K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra
K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra was a 1959 Indian court case where Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a Naval Commander, was tried for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife's lover. The incident received unprecedented media coverage and inspired several books and movies...
case in 1959 with Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, later to become Chief Justice of India
Chief Justice of India
The Chief Justice of India is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of India, and thus holds the highest judicial position in India. As well as presiding in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice also head its administrative functions....
. His later defence of a string of smugglers in the late 1960s established Jethmalani’s image as a ‘smuggler’s lawyer’. Even back then, he would point out that he was only doing his duty as a lawyer.
In 1953 he became a part-time professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the Government Law College, Mumbai
Government Law College, Mumbai
The Government Law College, also known as GLC and located in Mumbai, India, is the oldest and one of the most distinguished law schools in India...
for both graduate and post graduate studies. He also taught Comparative law
Comparative law
Comparative law is the study of differences and similarities between the law of different countries. More specifically, it involves study of the different legal systems in existence in the world, including the common law, the civil law, socialist law, Islamic law, Hindu law, and Chinese law...
at International Law at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He has also been the Chairman of Bar Council of India
Bar Council of India
The Bar Council of India is a statutory body that regulates and represents the Indian bar. It was created by Parliament under the Advocates Act, 1961. It prescribes standards of professional conduct and etiquette and exercises disciplinary jurisdiction...
for four tenures both before and after the emergency. He was also a member of International Bar Association 1996.
Political career
In 1971, Ram Jethmalani contested as an independent candidate from UlhasnagarUlhasnagar
Ulhasnagar Ulhasnagar, also referred to as Sindhunagar, has an estimated population of 472,943 people .The name derives from the Ulhas river which flows through it. Kalyan is situated near Ulhasnagar. The city is home to many types of businesses....
supported both by the Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
and Bharatiya Jan Sangh but he lost the elections. During the Emergency period of 1975-1977, he was the chairman of the Bar Association of India. He heavily criticized the then Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
. An arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
was issued against him from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. It was stayed by the Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court at Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the High Court of India with jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra & Goa, and, the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
when over 300 lawyers led by Nani Palkhivala appeared for him. However the stay was nullified by the famous Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
judgment (Additional District Magistrate of Jabalpur v. Shiv Kant Shukla) and Ram Jethmalani exiled himself in the Canada carrying on his campaign against the Emergency. He returned 10 months later after Emergency was lifted. While in Canada, his candidature was filed from Bombay North-West constituency
Mumbai North West (Lok Sabha Constituency)
Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency is a constituency represented in the Lok Sabha of the Parliament of India, having approximately 1.6 million voters. The seat is currently represented by Gurudas Kamat-Assembly segments:...
. He won the election and retained the seat in 1980 General Elections
Indian general election, 1980
India held general elections to the 7th Lok Sabha. The Janata Party came into power riding the public anger against the Congress and the Emergency but its position was weak...
, but lost to Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt , born Sunil Balraj Dutt, was an Indian Hindi movie actor , producer, director and politician. He was the cabinet minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government...
of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
in 1985. In the 1977 general elections
Indian general election, 1977
India held general elections to the 6th Lok Sabha. This sixth general elections, which were conducted for 542 seats from 542 constituencies, represented 27 Indian states and union territories. These 542 constituencies were remain same till Indian general elections, 2004 for the 14th Lok Sabha.The...
after the Emergency, he ousted the serving Law Minister H.R. Gokhale from Bombay in the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
Elections and hence started his political career as a Parliamentarian. However he was not made law minister himself as Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai
Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977–79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
disapproved of his lifestyle.
He became a member of Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
in 1988. He became The Union Minister of Law, Justice
Minister of Law and Justice (India)
The Minister of Law and Justice is the head of the Ministry of Law and Justice and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India....
and Company Affairs in 1996 in the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
. During the second tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
, he was given the portfolio of Union Minister of Urban Affairs and Employment in 1998. But on 13 October 1999 he was again sworn in as the Union Minister for Law, Justice
Minister of Law and Justice (India)
The Minister of Law and Justice is the head of the Ministry of Law and Justice and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India....
& Company Affairs. However he was asked to resign by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
following differences with the then Chief Justice of India
Chief Justice of India
The Chief Justice of India is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of India, and thus holds the highest judicial position in India. As well as presiding in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice also head its administrative functions....
Adarsh Sein Anand and Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee
Soli Sorabjee
Soli Jehangir Sorabjee is an Indian jurist.-Biography:Soli Sorabjee was born on March 9, 1930 in Bombay, and after an education at Government Law College, Bombay, was admitted to the bar in 1953...
. It is believed that Jethmalani never enjoyed the confidence of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
. He was inducted into the Cabinet on Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Kishanchand Advani known as Lal Krishna Advani is a Veteran Indian politician. A former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the major opposition party in the Indian Parliament. He also served as a Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004...
's insistence.
He had also announced his candidature for President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
stating "I owe it to the nation to offer my services" and launched his own political fronts, the Bharat Mukti Morcha, launched as a ‘mass movement’ in 1987 and in 1995 he launched his own political party called Pavitra Hindustan Kazhagam, with a motto to achieve “Transparency in functioning of Indian Democracy.”
In the General Elections of 2004
Indian general election, 2004
Legislative elections were held in India in four phases between April 20 and May 10, 2004. Over 670 million people were eligible to vote, electing 543 members of the 14th Lok Sabha...
, he contested against Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
from the Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
constituency as an independent candidate
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
did not field their candidates in this election. However he lost. Later on, in 2010, he was given a Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
ticket by Bharatiya Janta Party from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and he was selected.
Defense of High profile cases
He has a number of high profile defense cases to his credit as a lawyer (citation). , people involved in market scams (Harshad MehtaHarshad Mehta
Harshad Shantila Mehta was an Indian stockbroker. He is alleged to have engineered the rise in the BSE stock exchange in 1992. Exploiting several loopholes in the banking system, Mehta and his associates siphoned off funds from inter-bank transactions and bought shares heavily at a premium across...
and Ketan Parekh
Ketan Parekh
Ketan Parekh is a former stock broker from Mumbai, India, who was convicted in 2008, for involvement in the Indian stock market manipulation scam in late 1999-2001...
), and a host of gangsters and smugglers including the British citizen Daisy Angus who was acquitted of hashish smuggling after serving 5 years in jail. He has also defended death sentence of Afzal Guru
Afzal Guru
Mohammad Afzal, also known as Afzal Guru, is a Kashmiri who was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India in 2004. The sentence was scheduled to be carried out on 20 October 2006...
a Pakistani terrorist convicted for 2001 Indian Parliament attack
2001 Indian Parliament attack
The 2001 Indian Parliament attack was a high-profile attack by Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists against the building housing the Parliament of India in New Delhi...
. He also defended L.K Advani in Hawala Scam. Recently he was in the news for taking up the defense of Manu Sharma
Manu Sharma
Siddharth Vashisht , better known as Manu Sharma, is a convicted murderer, serving life imprisonment for the 1999 murder of model Jessica Lal. Sharma is the son of the former Indian minister Venod Sharma....
, prime accused in the Jessica Lall murder case, however, he failed to get Manu Sharma acquitted. He is now going to be defending Lalit Modi
Lalit Modi
Lalit Kumar Modi, is the former architect of the Indian Premier League.Best known for his stint as the Chairman and Commissioner of the Indian Premier League and the Chairman of the Champions League, between 2008 and 2010, he has also occupied the roles of Vice President of the Board of Control...
- former IPL
IPL
-Sports:* Indian Premier League, a cricket league* Indonesian Premier League, a football league* Iran Pro League, a football league* Irish Premier League, a former football league* Israeli Premier League, a football league-Computing :* IBM Public License...
Chairman and Commissioner.
- Defence of Rajeev Gandhi's killers in Madras High Court in year 2011.
- Defense of Indira Gandhi's killers
- Harshad MehtaHarshad MehtaHarshad Shantila Mehta was an Indian stockbroker. He is alleged to have engineered the rise in the BSE stock exchange in 1992. Exploiting several loopholes in the banking system, Mehta and his associates siphoned off funds from inter-bank transactions and bought shares heavily at a premium across...
's defense in stock market scam - Ketan ParekhKetan ParekhKetan Parekh is a former stock broker from Mumbai, India, who was convicted in 2008, for involvement in the Indian stock market manipulation scam in late 1999-2001...
's defense in stock market scam - Underworld don Haji MastanHaji MastanHaji Mastan Mirza, popularly known as Haji Mastan or Bawa, was a Bombay gangster and smuggler in the 1960s and 1970s. Mastan became the first celebrity gangster of the city, expanding his clout in the film industry. As Mastan's influence in Bollywood grew, he began to produce films...
- Defended death sentence of Afzal GuruAfzal GuruMohammad Afzal, also known as Afzal Guru, is a Kashmiri who was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India in 2004. The sentence was scheduled to be carried out on 20 October 2006...
- L K Advani's defense in Hawala Scam
- Manu SharmaManu SharmaSiddharth Vashisht , better known as Manu Sharma, is a convicted murderer, serving life imprisonment for the 1999 murder of model Jessica Lal. Sharma is the son of the former Indian minister Venod Sharma....
's defense in Jessica Lall murder case - Amit ShahAmit ShahAmit Shah served from 2005 to 2008 as the mayor of the city of Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, India. He is affiliated with the BJP.Shah is an accountant by profession, and worked at the Ahmedabad District Cooperative bank...
's (Gujarat's former Minister of State for Home) defense in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. - Amit Jogi's defence (son of Ajit JogiAjit JogiAjit Jogi was the first chief minister of the state of Chhattisgarh, India. He currently represents the Marwahi Scheduled Tribe constituency in the state assembly and is a member of the Indian National Congress political party....
) in the case of Ramavatar Jaggi murder case. - Kanimozhi's defense in Spectrum 2G2G spectrum scamThe 2G spectrum scandal involved officials in the government of India illegally undercharging mobile telephony companies for frequency allocation licenses, which they would use to create 2G subscriptions for cell phones...
case - Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy's special leave petition on stay for CBI probe on money laundering in his companies.
- Yeddyurappa's case on illegal mining scam
- AG Perarivalan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan and Sriharan alias Murugan - convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
- Ramdev's defense on use of force on the followers of Baba Ramdev at Ramlila gounds on June 4,2011
However Ram Jethmalani is of the opinion that he is someone who thinks independently, who has not mortgaged his soul or intelligence to anybody. He says "I decide according to my conscience who to defend. A lawyer who refuses to defend a person on the grounds that people believe him to be guilty is himself guilty of professional misconduct."
After he joined Bharatiya Janta Party in 2010, when he was asked why he had defended Afzal Guru
Afzal Guru
Mohammad Afzal, also known as Afzal Guru, is a Kashmiri who was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India in 2004. The sentence was scheduled to be carried out on 20 October 2006...
against his death sentence when his party was in support of it, he replied that he had meant that such indoctrinated elements (like Afzal) shouldn’t be allowed to die easily, but they should made to rot in jails
Controversy during his Ministerial term
- There was a clash between him and then Attorney General of India, Soli SorabjeeSoli SorabjeeSoli Jehangir Sorabjee is an Indian jurist.-Biography:Soli Sorabjee was born on March 9, 1930 in Bombay, and after an education at Government Law College, Bombay, was admitted to the bar in 1953...
. Jethmalani felt Soli SorabjeeSoli SorabjeeSoli Jehangir Sorabjee is an Indian jurist.-Biography:Soli Sorabjee was born on March 9, 1930 in Bombay, and after an education at Government Law College, Bombay, was admitted to the bar in 1953...
was exceeding his brief and flaunting his political clout. There were exchanges of rude letters and a series of accusations on both sides. This finally cost him his ministerial berth. - Chief Justice A.S. Anand took exception to not being consulted on the appointment of MRTP commission head. Jethmalani felt the judiciary was poaching on the executive's turf. The exchange of letters turned acrimonious and culminated in Anand making a formal complaint to Vajpayee.
- Jethmalani antagonised the legal fraternity with his brash handling of the lawyer's strike this year. He was even expelled from the Bar Association.
- As Union Minister of Urban Affairs and Employment in 1998-99, Jethmalani's decision in the MS Shoes case landed him in controversy. Following a Central Bureau of InvestigationCentral Bureau of InvestigationThe Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
inquiry, the Government concluded he was guilty of an administrative error but not criminal conspiracy. - The Supreme Court of IndiaSupreme Court of IndiaThe Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
made adverse comments on the Government's doublespeak on the Srikrishna Commission report. This was interpreted as evidence of the judiciary's exasperation with the law minister.
Awards and Achievements
- International Jurist Award
- World Peace Through Law Award
- In 1977 he received Human Rights Award instituted by World Peace Through Law for his fight against authoritarianism at Philippines.
Books
- Biography: Ram Jethmalani : The Authorized Biography by Nalini Gera
- In April 2007 at the time Prime Minister Manmohan SinghManmohan SinghManmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
released one of his books titled Conscience of a Maverick. - Big Egos, Small Men, Har Anand Publications.
External links
See also
- K. M. Nanavati vs. State of MaharashtraK. M. Nanavati vs. State of MaharashtraK. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra was a 1959 Indian court case where Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a Naval Commander, was tried for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife's lover. The incident received unprecedented media coverage and inspired several books and movies...