Eminent jurist T R Andhyarujina passes away

Eminent jurist and senior advocate T R Andhyarujina passed away early this morning in Mumbai.
Andhyarujina, 84, who also served as Solicitor General during 1996-98, was part of the team of constitutional law expert H M Seervai in his initial days as a lawyer and witnessed from close-quarters the history-defining hearings in the 'The Kesavananda Bharati Case'.
Seervai had appeared for the Kerela government in the famous Kesavananda Bharati case.
The apex court had laid down the doctrine of "basic structure of the Constitution" and held that the executive cannot amend the Constitution in a way which may tamper with its "basic structure".

Before joining the bar, Andhyarujina was selected for Indian Foreign Services in 1958 securing third rank in the then ICS exam. He opted for advocacy.
Andhyarujina appeared in many well-known cases.

Kesavananda Bharati case, Vishakha case (which laid down the fundamental rights of working women), the Parliamentary Privileges Case, JMM Bribery case involving former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, Aruna Shanbaug case of passive euthanasia are a few litigations in which Andhyarujina assisted the bench with his legal acumen.
He supported the National Judicial Appointment Commission and opposed the existing collegium system of appointment of judges in higher judiciary saying nowhere in the world, the judges appoint judges.

A part-time columnist and Professor of law in various universities at home and abroad, Andhyarujina had also authored 'Judicial Activism and Constitutional Democracy in India in 1992 and 'Judges and Judicial Accountability' in 2002.