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NANI PALKHIVALA - THE COURTROOM GENIUS
If ever a colossus strode across the Indian legal arena, it was Nani Palkhivala. After a brilliant academic career, he quickly became one of India's most sought after lawyers and remained at center stage for five decades. Famous for his phenomenal power of concentration and persuasive advocacy, he was a supremely successful lawyer.
Early in his career, he authored one of the finest commentaries on the law and practice of income tax. His reputation as a constitutional lawyer is deservedly formidable. Between 1965 and 1995, he argued nearly all important constitutional law cases before the Supreme Court of India: Golak Nath, Bank Nationalization, Privy Purses, Kesavananda Bharati, St. Xavier's, Mandal Commission and the Election Commission matter. Palkhivala also represented India in three major international disputes. A man of many parts and strong opinions, he gave critical lectures on the annual budget, which attracted audiences in excess of 1,00,000. Amazingly, he never referred to a single note. An extraordinary human being, he gave generously, but quietly, to charitable causes.
This book chronicles Palkhivala's journey as a lawyer and discusses the important cases in which he appeared and that changed the destiny of the country. The book provides a rare insight into his working methods and style of advocacy. No student of law, no lawyer, no chartered accountant, no member of the judiciary and no well-informed citizen can afford to miss reading this book.
Early in his career, he authored one of the finest commentaries on the law and practice of income tax. His reputation as a constitutional lawyer is deservedly formidable. Between 1965 and 1995, he argued nearly all important constitutional law cases before the Supreme Court of India: Golak Nath, Bank Nationalization, Privy Purses, Kesavananda Bharati, St. Xavier's, Mandal Commission and the Election Commission matter. Palkhivala also represented India in three major international disputes. A man of many parts and strong opinions, he gave critical lectures on the annual budget, which attracted audiences in excess of 1,00,000. Amazingly, he never referred to a single note. An extraordinary human being, he gave generously, but quietly, to charitable causes.
This book chronicles Palkhivala's journey as a lawyer and discusses the important cases in which he appeared and that changed the destiny of the country. The book provides a rare insight into his working methods and style of advocacy. No student of law, no lawyer, no chartered accountant, no member of the judiciary and no well-informed citizen can afford to miss reading this book.
461 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
288 people are currently reading
3111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 4, 2019
Excellent book, especially for any aspiring lawyer. Shows how essential Palkhivala's role was in safeguarding the Democratic values and Constitutional supremacy from the gnaws of Indira Gandhi and her dictatorial socialist influenced policies.
I would truly call him a custodian of the Constitution and democracy.
Also, the book very lucidly portrays his legal career and excellency in lawyering skills.
Seriously worth a read.
I would truly call him a custodian of the Constitution and democracy.
Also, the book very lucidly portrays his legal career and excellency in lawyering skills.
Seriously worth a read.
July 15, 2014
fantastic
February 6, 2017
Nani Palkhivala's incredible success as a lawyer continues to inspire many generations of youngsters. This book chronicles his journey as a supremely successful lawyer and discusses the cases where he argued complicated points of law, which helped in shaping the constitution of our country. He was a part of nearly all important constitutional law cases- Golak Nath, Bank Nationalism, Privy Purses, Mandal Commission and the Election Commission matter.
December 3, 2020
Written by the man who has been known for his knowledge in both laws as well as other fields equally. This book contains some landmark judgements which has been argued by the Nani, and they have their relevance today also and will have in the future also. He has through his arguments ensured that democratic values are intact and the rights of the citizen are not taken for the ride. This is a must-read for every law student, lawyer and any other person who is working in the legal field.
June 4, 2013
An absolute delight for anyone having even the slightest of interest in the Constitutional and Tax Laws of India. The book is made even more resplendent by inclusion of selected opinions, written submissions prepared by Palkhivala, along with the plaint of the famous copyright infringement case against Sir Jamshedji Kanga & Nani Palkhivala instituted by Sampath Ayyengar.
February 25, 2020
The book is a reiteration of all the major constitutional as well as other cases argued by Mr. Palkhivala. If you are reading it for insight into the arguments advanced it is an okay book but if you are going at it to read how awe inspiring personality Mr. Palkhivala was, then you are going to be disappointed.
January 11, 2022
A book on Nani Palkhivala’s cases, a fortiori is ought to be eloquent and pleasant to read. For me, the odious part of the book was the Aditya V. Birla case related to Thai Rayon. On cursory research, it can be found out that Thai Rayon is a part of the Aditya Birla Group as we know it currently. This is not mentioned by the author at all! In fact the name Aditya V. Birla is mentioned so nonchalantly that one thinks that the author may possibly be referring to a different person altogether. Hence the author - Soli Sorabjee’s sophistical pean on how it was purposive interpretation by the court is purely specious. The court may have well chosen to rule in favour of the defendant but the Revenue Department was not fully wrong in alleging a sleight of hand. In fact, the aforesaid details then also cast a shadow of doubt on all the other cases which the author posits! For e.g. - the author may have very well chosen to hide certain facts on the Privy purses and the fundamental rights cases. It may as well be true that the operational difficulties in running a country with a population as big and as diverse and as poor as India’s is something which the lawyers - such as Nani Palkhliwala or Soli Sorabjee sitting in their plush ‘Bombay’ offices, working for the big industrialists, and making a hefty sum of of money - may be innocuously unaware of !
February 27, 2013
must read for people related to legal profession..
November 19, 2013
Exceptional book and a book to treasure
September 16, 2014
An impressive reflection of the achivements and works of late nano palkhivala. A must read for all law aspirants
December 20, 2014
Excellent book. A must read for lawyers,judges,law students and people interested in the legal history of India.
December 26, 2016
Excellent book. Gives a nice glimpse into our History too!!
August 31, 2015
Must Read !!!!
December 27, 2016
If you are a lawyer, and you haven't read this book, then drop everything you read on weekends and pick this one up and read what legal genius is all about!!
August 2, 2019
Sir nani palkhivala life has been described in an astonishingly way and the book is a must read again and again for constitutional clarity .
June 30, 2019
A book about the India’s most famous legal luminary and jurist to ever walk in on Indian Courts is written by no less ordinary authors. The authors, Soli J Sorabjee and Arvind P Datar are no strangers to the common man and needs no introduction. Both have been one of the most sought after advocates of our times and are still at top of their game. But this book that they both collaborated for isn’t about their exploits or their personal hardships but instead is about the legal journey of a man whom we all have always wanted to know about. This books describes how a man can achieve so much in just one lifetime and still be so down to earth. It perfectly decodes about how and what happened behind the scenes of all those famous and life altering cases that Nani Palkhivala fought. This book has been at attempt and quite a successful one at decoding how and what transpired behind all those landmark Constitutional cases and tax cases that Nani fought and won and how it protected the general public from governments ever continuing effort to keep the public in check.
The book starts by counting on all the qualities that made Nani a colossus that he was and explains in detail how he managed to do so. It delves into his work ethic, razor sharp focus and crystal clear arguments which gave Nani always an edge over his opponents and a delight to ears to listen. Moving further the author gives a glimpse into the personal life of Nani and the unexpected twists that fate had for him. Do you know that Nani never wanted to be a lawyer? Instead he wanted to be an English Professor and his wife wanted him to be a civil servant. But due to unforeseen circumstances (as described in the book), Nani became a lawyer and the rest is history.
Barring one case almost all the constitutional law cases have been fought by Nani. Looking at such a huge number one can have a fair idea about how much Nani has affected lives of a common man. It’s almost unimaginable what would have happened had Nani not fought even one of these cases. IC Golakh Nath, Bank Nationalisation Case, Privy Purses Case, Bennett Coleman case, Kesvananda Bharti Case, Minerva Mills case and the even Mandal commission case, all these cases have transformed the course of our country and all have been fought by Nani. The Habeas Corpus case was the only one of the list of these landmark constitutional case which was not represented by Nani. Nani was a tax lawyer first and then a constitutional lawyer. This book has devoted a special chapter to chronicle the tax law cases that Nani represented. In all this book is a must read for all those who wish to implement in themselves all the ideas that Nani stood for and about his work ethic as well. It’s a must read for all felloe Indians to understand what really has happened in past and how some of our own have fought along the lines to protect ourselves.
The book starts by counting on all the qualities that made Nani a colossus that he was and explains in detail how he managed to do so. It delves into his work ethic, razor sharp focus and crystal clear arguments which gave Nani always an edge over his opponents and a delight to ears to listen. Moving further the author gives a glimpse into the personal life of Nani and the unexpected twists that fate had for him. Do you know that Nani never wanted to be a lawyer? Instead he wanted to be an English Professor and his wife wanted him to be a civil servant. But due to unforeseen circumstances (as described in the book), Nani became a lawyer and the rest is history.
Barring one case almost all the constitutional law cases have been fought by Nani. Looking at such a huge number one can have a fair idea about how much Nani has affected lives of a common man. It’s almost unimaginable what would have happened had Nani not fought even one of these cases. IC Golakh Nath, Bank Nationalisation Case, Privy Purses Case, Bennett Coleman case, Kesvananda Bharti Case, Minerva Mills case and the even Mandal commission case, all these cases have transformed the course of our country and all have been fought by Nani. The Habeas Corpus case was the only one of the list of these landmark constitutional case which was not represented by Nani. Nani was a tax lawyer first and then a constitutional lawyer. This book has devoted a special chapter to chronicle the tax law cases that Nani represented. In all this book is a must read for all those who wish to implement in themselves all the ideas that Nani stood for and about his work ethic as well. It’s a must read for all felloe Indians to understand what really has happened in past and how some of our own have fought along the lines to protect ourselves.
April 14, 2022
Mr. Sorabjee and Mr. Datar, both stalwarts in the profession of law writing about the most renowned and respected champion of tax and constitutional law make the book in itself a must-read for most people connected with the profession. However, what makes it a great read is the fact that it can also be termed as a short but very comprehensive commentary on the most relevant judgments in Constitution and Tax Jurisprudence. Mr. Datar has explained Mr. Palkhivala's imminent contribution to the cultivation of Tax law with profound clarity and precision. The brevity of the Income and sales tax chapters most certainly demands appreciation to the extent of admiration for Mr. Datar's writing skills. If people are looking to read a biography or to know the man that Mr. Palkhivala was then this is certainly not the book for you. However, if you want to read about an exceptional lawyer who has had the most impact on two distinct fields of law in this country in the last five decades then it is surely the book for you. I am certain that the Basic Structure Judgments will either acquaint people in brief with the nitty-gritty of Constitutional Law or help people connected with the profession to brush up on the same. The sub-chapters in Tax chapters will surely acquaint with various issues and legal inferences drawn by Mr. Palkhivala as regards the same which will seem significantly relevant in contemporary times. For instance Justice Bhagwati's judgment of adoption purposive interpretation in Tax Statutes as an exception. Lastly, the icing on the cake is the Appendix attached to the book. The authors have surely done a fine job. However, people unacquainted with the profession may find it a significantly boring and difficult read.
September 10, 2019
Nani Palkivala is one of the most revered lawyers in the history of Indian Jurisprudence. Having advocated in almost all the landmark cases of Indian Judicial history of post independence era, Palkhivala has earned a place as the most respected lawyer of modern era.
This book perfectly captures the description of landmark cases that Palkhivala has advocated in honourable Supreme Court and other Tax related cases in various High Courts. It also contains the full length judgement of Fundamental Rights case, aka Kesavananda Bharti case which defines not only the brilliance of Palkhivala’s advocacy, but also the venerability of the Supreme Court of India. The later part of the book also covers a few opinions that Palkhivala has given to various companies.
The authors (both respected members of Indian Law Fraternity) have done a commendable job to construct the legal journey of Mr Palkhivala in such a way that not only it preserves the professional legacy of Palkhivala’s career but it also makes it conveniently comprehensive for the common reader. Hats off to Sorabjee and Datar for giving the reader an opportunity to live through the glorious years of Palkhivala in the most captivating and inspiring way.
This book perfectly captures the description of landmark cases that Palkhivala has advocated in honourable Supreme Court and other Tax related cases in various High Courts. It also contains the full length judgement of Fundamental Rights case, aka Kesavananda Bharti case which defines not only the brilliance of Palkhivala’s advocacy, but also the venerability of the Supreme Court of India. The later part of the book also covers a few opinions that Palkhivala has given to various companies.
The authors (both respected members of Indian Law Fraternity) have done a commendable job to construct the legal journey of Mr Palkhivala in such a way that not only it preserves the professional legacy of Palkhivala’s career but it also makes it conveniently comprehensive for the common reader. Hats off to Sorabjee and Datar for giving the reader an opportunity to live through the glorious years of Palkhivala in the most captivating and inspiring way.
June 19, 2023
Palkhivala's eloquence and his command over Taxation and Constitutional Law is undisputed and unparalleled. He reached staggering heights of success in an incredible period of time.
Palkhivala's stature has been eternalised due to his invaluable arguments before the Supreme Court in the Landmark Judgement of Kesavananda Bharati (1973) and the subsequent appeal in 1975.
Palkhivala's arguments in 1975 appeal reflect the conscience of over 600M people and virtuousness of democratic morality. His words were absolute and his resolve, divine. The arguments raised by Palkhivala questioning the 24-26th Amendment to the Constitution of India evokes emotions and nationalistic convictions.
Palkhivala's arguments in Minerva Mills (1980) were equally illuminating and domineering, as a student of life and a responsible citizen, it must be known how we have come to this life of liberty, freedom and morality, and must we not take it for granted.
Palkhivala's stature has been eternalised due to his invaluable arguments before the Supreme Court in the Landmark Judgement of Kesavananda Bharati (1973) and the subsequent appeal in 1975.
Palkhivala's arguments in 1975 appeal reflect the conscience of over 600M people and virtuousness of democratic morality. His words were absolute and his resolve, divine. The arguments raised by Palkhivala questioning the 24-26th Amendment to the Constitution of India evokes emotions and nationalistic convictions.
Palkhivala's arguments in Minerva Mills (1980) were equally illuminating and domineering, as a student of life and a responsible citizen, it must be known how we have come to this life of liberty, freedom and morality, and must we not take it for granted.
April 16, 2019
I read it during my internship days... As I had not much to do.... Got to know about an amazing jurist Nani while the book gives some major insight about the leading precedents of our nation like Golaknath, keshvanand bharti, privy purses, bank nationalisation etc..
On the other hand you get to know about Nani and his contribution towards our nation. This books has to be a must read for a budding law student As it encapsulates facts and fervour both. One thing Nani thought me was importance of time... How miniscule our lives are in time frame and how far we are behind from understanding the true nature of our lives.
On the other hand you get to know about Nani and his contribution towards our nation. This books has to be a must read for a budding law student As it encapsulates facts and fervour both. One thing Nani thought me was importance of time... How miniscule our lives are in time frame and how far we are behind from understanding the true nature of our lives.
July 27, 2025
This is a book that gives readers not just legal knowledge, but a window into a legal conscience. Nani Palkhivala emerges—not as an infallible hero—but as a deeply human figure whose intellect, discipline, and moral clarity shaped constitutional India. Sorabjee and Datar preserve that legacy admirably. For readers who want to understand how law can serve democracy, justice, and society, Courtroom Genius offers not just lessons—but a benchmark.
June 30, 2021
If you want to know the story of the greatest lawyer of independent India, this is the book. Being a practicing lawyer myself, this is the best book among odd 25 others on law I have read. Written by 2 stalwarts lawyers, it is peppered with encouraging accounts, interesting court stories, useful judgments etc.
If you are a law student or in your initial years of practice, its a must read.
If you are a law student or in your initial years of practice, its a must read.
January 10, 2022
If you're looking to read about Palkhivala's journey as a lawyer, you'll be disappointed. This is a mix between an eulogy and a discussion (superficial one) of some landmark cases Palkhivala was a part of. In one word - overrated (the book not the man). You can give this one a miss (even as a lawyer).
April 6, 2022
A good book for courtroom enthusiasts and students of laws to understand what exactly went in those famous and critical constitutional cases that were argued by Nani Palkhivala. I was surprised to have known the kind of analytical ability that the man possessed and how he persuaded the judges to agree with his contentions which were fantastic.
January 14, 2019
still reading.....
February 27, 2019
Excellent book
Read
August 19, 2019Very good
Want to read
June 23, 2020Does anyone have the courtroom genius in pdf. Please send
mukhtarahmad337@gmail.com
mukhtarahmad337@gmail.com
May 20, 2023
Brilliantly written by Mr. Datar and Mr. Sorabjee. Ever grateful to Nani for preserving India's democratic character. Big fan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews