Saurabh Kirpal is a veteran Indian advocate, LGBTQ+ activist and author of a book who is often in the news for openly embracing his homosexuality and coming forward. In November 2021, a Supreme Court committee considered appointing the openly gay senior lawyer as a Delhi High Court judge, a first in the country. Kipal, an alumnus of Cambridge and Oxford Universities, is believed to have an impressive resume that includes numerous landmark cases.
Wiki/Biography
Saurabh Kirpal was born in Delhi on Tuesday, April 18, 1972 (50 years; as of 2022). His zodiac sign is Aries. Saurabh graduated in Physics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and then went to Oxford University in the UK to obtain a bachelor’s degree in law. He further studied for a Master of Laws degree at Cambridge University.
appearance
Hair color: black
Eye color: dark brown
family
Saurabh comes from a family of lawyers.
Parents and siblings
His father, Bhupinder Nath Kirpal, was the 31st Chief Justice of India, serving in this position from May 2002 until his retirement in November 2002. Saurabh’s mother’s name is Aruna Kirpal and he has two siblings.
Saurabh Kipal’s father
wife and children
Saurabh is unmarried and has no children.
sexual orientation
Saurabh claims to be gay. In an interview, when asked about his coming out story, he said:
I discovered my sexuality at a young age…it took me some time to come to terms with my sexuality. Once I did that, I didn’t come out to my parents until I was in my twenties. But coming out to my parents was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was a joyful, honorable experience…my father was a Supreme Court justice at the time. He said he was surprised to hear the news but that he was happy for me and would support me no matter what. My mom said she was a little skeptical, but not sure. She will also support any decision I make. “
Relationships/Affairs
Kirpal is in a relationship with Nicolas Germain Bachmann, her partner of 20 years. Nicholas is a European and works at the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Delhi. He is also a Swiss human rights activist.
Saurabh Kirpal and his partners
Profession
early career
Shortly after graduating from Cambridge University, Saurabh served briefly at the United Nations in Geneva before returning to India in the 1990s and practicing before the Supreme Court of India for more than two decades. Kipal’s two decades-long tenure in the Supreme Court helped him specialize in civil, commercial and constitutional law. The advocate also assisted former Attorney General and senior Supreme Court lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, which, according to Saurabh, enhanced his capabilities as a lawyer and made him proficient in the field.
career advancement
In October 2017, media reported that the Delhi High Court Committee unanimously recommended Saurabh to be appointed as a permanent judge of the Delhi High Court. The committee comprised Chief Justice Geeta Mittal, Justices Sanjeev Khanna and Ravindra Bhatt. In March 2021, he was appointed as senior advocate after all 31 judges of the Delhi High Court unanimously supported his promotion. Such unanimous approval is reportedly quite rare. Eight months later, in November 2021, Saurabh’s name was recognized again. The Supreme Court committee headed by CJI NV Ramana recommended him as a Delhi High Court judge and sent his name to the Ministry of Justice. The move was a historic decision as Kipal became the first person in the country to identify himself as gay and be recognized in such a high position.
Famous cases
Saurabh has represented litigants in several landmark commercial and constitutional cases before various courts in India. He has represented Anil Ambani in his legal battles with his brother and appeared in court for Ritu Dalmia and others. Kirpal was also one of the lead lawyers representing petitioners Sunil Mehra and Navtej Singh Johar in Navtej Singh Johor v Union of India, in which the Supreme Court delivered its landmark judgment decriminalizing homosexuality in September 2018. When the LGBTQ+ activist was asked about his views on the Section 377 verdict, he said in an interview,
This judgment may not seem like a big deal because Section 377 only makes consensual same-sex sex illegal… Section 377 is only relevant to consensual same-sex sex, but since it is a crime, it will also make it illegal for other things Make an impact. Changes in the law, like the Section 377 judgment, will gradually help bring about social change. I think history has shown us that positive change for LGBTQIA+ communities around the world starts with changes in laws. “
Book
The advocate is also the editor and author of an anthology titled Sex and the Supreme Court: How Law Preserves the Dignity of Indian Citizens, published in 2020. Indian legal fraternity such as Justice BD Ahmed, Justice MB Lokur and Justice AK Sikri, and advocates including Mukul Rohatgi, Madhavi Divan, Menaka Guruswamy and Arundhati Katju.
Saurabh Kipal’s books
dispute
postponement of appointment of judges
The three consecutive delays in Kipal’s judge recommendation have drawn criticism from legal circles across the country. In April 2017, after Saurabh agreed to be appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice Geeta Mittal, then acting chief judge of the Delhi High Court, moved to elevate Kipal’s name. On October 13 of the same year, Saurabh’s name was recommended for promotion by the Supreme Court committee for the first time; however, after 2017, his promotion stalled as multiple CJIs took over. In September 2018, the senior advocate’s name was deferred from the SC Collegium’s recommendation list for judges, another first. The committee did not issue a formal statement on its decision. In January 2019, the committee headed by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi had once again shelved Kirpal’s name after examining the material on record and the observations made by the Ministry of Justice in the Saurabh dossier. In a meeting of the three-member Supreme Court collegium held on April 1, 2019, chaired by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, once again no decision was taken on the appointment of Kirpal as a judge, citing similar reasons. Following the controversy, Kipal’s recommendation was allegedly delayed due to some concerns over the nationality of his partner, Nicolas Germain Bachmann. Saurabh later admitted that his sexual orientation may have been the real reason for delaying his promotion. He said in an interview,
Media reports seem to suggest that the problem may be the nationality of my Swiss partner. If I were a heterosexual with a foreign spouse, this wouldn’t be a problem; a former Supreme Court justice has a foreign spouse. But that’s only a problem because I’m not. “
While upholding its recommendation to appoint him as a judge of the Delhi High Court, the Supreme Court Committee on January 19, 2023 said that the government cannot consider Mr. Kipal’s Swiss associate as anti-India; further, the committee held that Mr. Kipal was a judge precious.
Facts/Trivia
- Saurabh loves to drink alcoholic beverages.
Saurabh Kirpal holding an alcoholic drink
- In addition to work, Kopal’s hobbies include reading and music. He enjoys listening to Indian classical music and prefers reading non-fiction books, especially those on social sciences and philosophy. According to Saurabh, his favorite book is “Cosmos” by Carl Sagan.
- The veteran advocate revealed in a conversation that he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up and that he loved studying science and astronomy, which led him to major in physics.
- Saurabh revealed in an interview that initially he was not sure whether to study law at Oxford University as he could not afford the tuition fees, but later he continued after receiving a scholarship. He added,
I had planned to read law at Delhi University, but I felt I needed to broaden my horizons and experience life outside of India, even if I would never settle there permanently. I applied to read law at Oxford University, and although I got a place there, I wasn’t quite sure if I could go. I relied on being able to get scholarships, and I was lucky enough to get them. That’s how I read law in college.
- He considers his father, former Chief Justice of India and senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, as his mentor.
- Saurabh is also a trustee of the Naz Foundation Trust, a Delhi-based NGO fighting for the decriminalization of homosexuality in India.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education