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| Senior Adv. T P Kelu Nambiar Photo: The Hindu |
By Dr. Justice V.R Krishna Iyer
A great jurist has to be fearless, independent and erudite. Kelu was all these three. An obsequious jurist is a dangerous coward, a submissive law man and one who sells opinions for the sake of position and promotion. Kelu was a brave fighter, too bold to bend before the bench. His use of the English language was powerful I cannot forgive his strong critics of my English—he was excellent but I liked his English without fear or favour, sharp diction never soft but always free from malignancy. He had a point always, an original jurisprudence. He was brief but longer in meaning than verbal essays, rarely cared for pleasing judges but his argument contained something new. Kelu was Kerala’s incorruptible law teacher at the bar who never stooped to conquer with his creative soul.
A great jurist has to be fearless, independent and erudite. Kelu was all these three. An obsequious jurist is a dangerous coward, a submissive law man and one who sells opinions for the sake of position and promotion. Kelu was a brave fighter, too bold to bend before the bench. His use of the English language was powerful I cannot forgive his strong critics of my English—he was excellent but I liked his English without fear or favour, sharp diction never soft but always free from malignancy. He had a point always, an original jurisprudence. He was brief but longer in meaning than verbal essays, rarely cared for pleasing judges but his argument contained something new. Kelu was Kerala’s incorruptible law teacher at the bar who never stooped to conquer with his creative soul.
When I declare Kelu Nambiar was a
jurisprudent I comprehend in that expression social engineering. Jurisprudence is the science of law designed
to produce order in society. Sans law what
prevails is chaos. The rule of law is
therefore geared to produce peaceful conditions in the rule of life. No law, no order and jurists themselves
should be orderly so that the courts of law use their writ power to see that
everything society does or authorities perform is according to propitious
promotive of friendship fraternity and homogeneity. This is possible only if those
instrumentalities enforcing the rule of law like the Executive and judicature
possess integrity beyond purchase for money or partiality. If you seek a role model for these great
virtues unerringly you reach one brave soul is Kelu Nambiar. He has criticized me and my English he has
never bend before the robes on the Bench because his only purpose is not fee or
victory but social order without affection or illwill, fear or favour. Arbitrariness and bravado are his
allergy. Kelu Nambiar will remain a
model for the younger generation of the Bar for long.
(Dr. Justice V.R Krishna Iyer, eminent jurist, is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India)
(Dr. Justice V.R Krishna Iyer, eminent jurist, is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India)
