R Venkatramani is an Indian lawyer with over 42 years of experience in the Supreme Court of India. On October 28, 2022, he was appointed by the President of India as the 15th Attorney General of India for a three-year term (effective from October 1, 2022). Previously, he was a member of the Law Commission of India and served as Senior Advocate for the Government of India in the Supreme Court.
Wiki/Biography
R. Venkatramani, also known as Venkataramani Rajagopalan, was born in Puducherry (now Puducherry) on Thursday, April 13, 1950 (age 72; as of 2022). His zodiac sign is Aries. He studied at the Government College of Law, Puducherry, where he was a student of the late Professor Madhava Menon.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′7″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: brown
family
Parents and siblings
Not much is known about his parents and siblings.
wife and children
R. Venkatramani married Vijayalakshmi Venkataramani. They have a son named Anandh Venkataramani, who is also a legal professional. Anandh is a partner of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas.
R Venkatramani and his wife
R Venkatramani and son
R Venkatramani with his wife and son
judicial
madras high court
Venkatramani was associated with the Tamil Nadu Bar Council in July 1977 and practiced law in the Madras High Court for about two years.
supreme court of india
In 1979, Venkatramani shifted his practice to the Supreme Court, joining the bench of late constitutional expert PP Rao. He subsequently practiced independently before the Supreme Court and was appointed as a Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court in 1997. From 2004 to 2010, Venkatramani served as Special Senior Advocate for various departments of the Central Government in the Supreme Court and High Courts. He also acted as counsel before the Supreme Court on issues relating to the conditions of service of court employees and litigated major litigation in the High Court and Supreme Court on behalf of the Central Government, State Governments, Universities and Public Sector Undertakings. R Venkatramani has over four decades of experience practicing before the Supreme Court and specializes in various branches of law including important constitutional law, indirect tax law, human rights law, civil and criminal law, consumer law and services related law.
R Venkatramani in his office
Outstanding cases
- Amrapali Case: The Supreme Court in its judgment dated July 23, 2019 appointed R. Venkataramani as the insolvency administrator. The court stated in its judgment,
We appoint Shri R. Venkataramani, Senior Advocate, as Court Receiver. The rights of the lessee shall belong to the Official Receiver, who shall sign a tripartite agreement on his behalf through an authorized person and take all other necessary actions and ensure that the title is transferred to the home purchasers and that the title is handed over to them. “
- Turban row case: R. Venkataramani was also involved in the turban row case in the Supreme Court of India. Venkataramani defended the hijab ban on behalf of two school teachers, saying public order was needed in different spaces in the community.
commission
R Venkataramani has contributed to various committees in India, including the Law Commission of India, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Constitutional Review Commission. In 2010, Venkatramani was appointed as a member of the Law Commission of India for a three-year term. In 2013, his membership was extended again. He played a key role in delivering the report on the establishment of the Equal Opportunities Commission. Venkataramani also serves as an additional member of the expert group of the Ministry of Minority Affairs constituted by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to review and finalize the structure and functions of the Equal Opportunities Commission. Venkataramani also headed the Constitution Review Committee under Chairman Venkatacharya.
minister of justice
On October 28, 2022, Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India, appointed R Venkatramani as the 15th Attorney General of India for a term of three years. He succeeds KK Venugopal and will take over the position with effect from October 1, 2022. Venkataramani in an interview expressed his happiness over the appointment and thanked people for expressing gratitude for it,
I am so grateful to everyone who made this possible for me. There are many of them. I must also thank the Honorable Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Law for placing their trust in me to undertake this very sensitive task. I can only hope and pray that, with the help given me by all my friends, I will be able to discharge this duty to the best of my ability without fear, impartiality, and malice. “
Appointment letter of R Venkatramani as Attorney General of India
Apparently, senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi was appointed Attorney General before Venkataramani. Rohatgi, however, rejected the Centre’s offer to return as attorney general without giving any specific reasons.
Other contributions
Venkataramani has also collaborated with several academic institutions, including National Law School of Hindu University, Bangalore (established since 1988), National University of Judicial Sciences (NUJS), West Bengal, Kolkata, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun , Lloyd Law School, Greater Noida. He is a visiting professor at Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat, Haryana and Symbiosis Law School, Noida. Rajagopalan was also involved in the development of legal education programs for young lawyers and legal teachers at the National Law School, Bangalore and the Federal Legal Education Association.
R Venkatramani addresses law students
Previously, he also served as an advisor to the National Judicial College, Bhopal. He is extensively committed to the reform of legal education and is actively involved in exploring new areas of legal theory and law such as science and law, science, technology and public policy. As a member of the South Asia Judicial Working Group composed of SAARC member states, Venkataramani participated in the submission of reports on the conditions of judicial institutions, institutional structural reforms and service conditions. In 1997, Venkataramani was appointed chairman of an independent monitoring group composed of the World Bank, the Government of India and the National Thermal Power Corporation. The team has been set up to monitor and provide advice on the rehabilitation of people displaced by NTPC projects in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
International Representative Office
Venkatramani has represented India at various international events, workshops and seminars related to law. From March 4 to 6, 2001, he served as a speaker at a seminar on the Optional Protocol to the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
R Venkatramani delivers lecture on advocacy and professional ethics
The workshop was organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in partnership with the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva. He is also involved in the activities of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Asia and Africa, particularly with regard to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). In May 2002, Venkatramani co-drafted an instrument on the right to food with an international working group after participating in an international conference in Berlin. In 2008, he participated in the drafting of Nepal’s constitution and experience sharing.
R Venkatramani attends legal conference
publication
R. Venkatramani is the author of several legal publications including:
- In 1975, he co-authored a book on Land Reforms in Tamil.
- In 1990, Venkatramani authored a book titled “Judgements of Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy” (former judge of the Supreme Court). The book is published by the International Society for Human Rights Institute.
- He has also written a book on Torts in the Halsbury Law of India series published by Butterworth Press.
- R. Venkatramani has published several articles on constitutional law, mainly on freedoms, human rights and the role of law, as well as legal education and environmental law.
- He is a contributor to the annual review of the Indian Law Institute (ILI), New Delhi.
- He is co-author of “Restatement of Indian Law: Public Interest Litigation”. The book is sponsored by the Restatement Committee, a joint committee of the Supreme Court of India and the Indian Legal Institute.
Facts/Trivia
- In his spare time, R. Venkatramani enjoys reading and writing poetry.
- Venkatramani, one of the most knowledgeable and astute lawyers in India, was awarded the SKOCH India Law Award in 2022 for his exemplary services in the legal field.
R Venkatramani wins SKOCH India Law Award
- He is a life member of several Bar Associations in India and participates in their activities.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education