Thread by @barandbench

Event commemorating the 80th birthday of Sri. VT Gopalan, former Additional Solicitor General for South India, will commence shortly.

The event can be viewed via Microsoft TEAMS at this link

bit.ly/vtg80bday

Member of Rajya Sabha, Senior Advocate P Wilson begins welcome address

Sr. Adv Wilson welcomes all judges who are speakers and guests at the event .

As we all know VT Gopalan is revered as doyen of Madras HC
His passion and commitment are still felt in the court's he has argued in

Sr. Adv Wilson : Many lawyers he trained became judges of the Madras and Kerala High Courts

Sr. adv Wilson : As Senior CGC and ASGI , he would keep his arguments within the ratio decidendi which was appreciated by many judges

Sr. adv Wilson: VTG represented both congress and BJP govt at the centre during his tenure as ASGI

Sr. adv Wilson: he aided advocates in any way could. He appeared in various landmark judgements and helped the courts to settle the law on various subjects

Sr. Adv Wilson : VTGs contributions went beyond the court.

Sr. Adv Wilson : VTG touched so many lives with his commitment to justice and improving the legal system in India.

A short AV clip sketching the life of Sri. VT Gopalan is being streamed.

Justice V Ramasubramanian, Judge, Supreme Court of India, will deliver his address now

Justice Ramasubramanian : Am I audible ?.. This has become common practice now to ask if one is audible. In fact the other day someone said you are not only audible and visible but incorrigible also

Justice Ramasubramanian : we all take this opportunity to pay our pranams to VTG

Justice Ramasubramanian : VTG and O have a few things in commons. we are both alumnis of the same schools.

Justice Ramasubramanian: VTG had a very interesting professional journey. Career graph was not meteoric, but one of gradual elevation

Justice Ramasubramanian : VTG could leap into any subject of law. Some of the memorable cases he argued on, I had written judgements. These are still cited, not because I authored it but because VTG helped settle the law

Justice Ramasubramanian: I remember a PIL challenging the nomination of someone to Indian Medical Council. The manner in which VTG argued is something I can never forget

Justice Ramasubramanian : another occassion where VTG represented CBI and there's a movie I've seen that feels like it is based on that case.

Justice Ramasubramanian : another case where a student appearing for an exam used a docupen which had a scanner attached. He got selected and it was cancelled

Justice Ramasubramanian : he approached Court saying person has the right to pursue whatever path for education. The way VTG argued, I could easily dismiss the case.

Justice Ramasubramanian : I can never forget the cases he appeared in. But more than that, we had a great personal rapport

Justice Ramasubramanian : after I sought transfer to Hyderabad HC, I got a call saying VTG wanted to come and meet me

Justice Ramasubramanian: we had a long conversation and I relised how much he cared for people on a personal level

Attorney General of India KK Venugopal begins his address

AG Venugopal : in the 1960's was a young practicing lawyer under Advocate Iyengar who was known for his distinctive turban. At the time there was a close group of lawyers who appeared before regional transport authority over and over again

AG : much of legal principles come from Motor Vehicles Law . And he was well versed in it .

AG : VTG didn't have an uncle in the legal fraternity but many senior lawyers acted as such. VTG was an excellent lawyer and an even better friend who I am grateful to have known

Justice VS Sirpurkar, Retired Judge Supreme Court of India begins his address

Justice Sirpurkar : I remember fondly my time in Madras High Court, maybe even more than my time at Supreme Court . What I remember is the love and warmth that was given to me from all of South India, from so many judges and the friendship of VTG

Justice Sirpurkar : VTG was brilliant so far as law is concerned. No question about it. But what impressed me more, is his unlimited fairness. His appearance was fair, arguments were fair, work was fair and his attitude was fair.

Justice Sirpurkar : His wife Mrs. Radha Gopalan appeared in front of me for many transport cases.

Justice Sirpurkar : I have tasted the best South Food at VTGs house.

Justice Sirpurkar : today VTG would have been set to celebrate his shathabhishekam ( 80th birthday )

Justice Sirpurkar : VTG and his memory will always live on in the history on Madras High Court and the city of Chennai

Chief Justice S Manikumar of Kerala High Court begins his address

CJ Manikumar : VTG was a legal luminary of great distinct. After I enrolled, I started my practice under the guidance of my father

CJ Manikumar : when VTG was appointed and Sr. Central Government Counsel, I was apprehensive about how sir would treat me but he treated me very well.

CJ Manikumar : I was given audience at 7 am and past 7 pm.
( Video and audio cuts off)

CJ Manikumar : many lawyers cannot forget the coffee we used to share at the office of ASGI when VTG sir occupied the office

CJ Manikumar : VTG always exhorted all of us to practice the seven lps of advocacy as written by Judge Abbot Parry .

CJ Manikumar: during my early days of judgeship, I would confess I didn't know the subject matter. He let me know through Madam Radha Gopalan not to so that as some lawyers might might take advantage of it. Such was his commitment to justice.

CJ Manikumar quotes Maya Angelou and concludes his address

Justice TS Sivagnanam, Judge Madras High Court, begins his address
Justice Sivagnanam : I remember when I was Additional CGC . At that time Ministry of Law and Justice would distribute the cases. It all changed when VTG was appointed as ASGI for South India.

Justice Sivagnanam : though VTG had a large private practice, he gave a lot of time to Goverment work. His wife Radha Gopalan and his juniors including CJ Manikumar has to handle his practice most of the time

Justice Sivagnanam : he had a methodical way of preparing for cases which endeared him to the entire judiciary.

Justice Sivagnanam : he held the office of ASGI with dignity. He also encouraged all central govt standing counsels, including me.

Justice Sivagnanam : over the years, our skills also got polished. We also became part of VTGs family.

Justice Sivagnanam : VTG was a great teacher and we miss him

Justice Dr. Anita Sumanth , Judge Madras High Court begins her address.

Justice Sumanth : While my interaction with VTG was as a repected senior member of the Bar , I had no idea about the depth of affection he had for me.
Coincidentally today is the birthday of my father and had he been here, we would have celebrated his 90th birthday

Justice Sumanth : he will be fongly membered by members who benefitted from the welfare trust he started and there is no better way to honour his memory than to propagate the work done by the Trust

Justice V. Bhavani Subbaroyan , Judge of Madras HC begins her address

Justice Subbaroyan : I had the opportunity to serve under him as a CGC and he taught all his juniors on all facets of law.
Justice Subbaroyan speaks in Tamil

Loosely translated, Justice Subbaroyan is speaking of the many roles VTG played in her life and many others, as a brother, a father , a teacher . She is also mentioning how VTG guided many on all facets of law and how he was committed to the justice system.

Justice Subbaroyan concludes her address

Justice Chitra Venkataraman, retired judge of Madras High Court begins her address

Justice Venkataraman : VTG appeared in a batch on Income Tax cases in front of Karnataka HC and he asked me to assist him

Justice Venkataraman : despite his knee issues, he stood for one and half hours and argued. Against 8 senior lawyers.
Despite many questions, he never said a bad word about any judge, opposing lawyer or junior

Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu, retired Madras High Court begins his address

Justice Ravichandrabaabu : when I was appointed as Senior CGC , VTG was ASGI for South India. All his guidance and advice given by him made my job a lot easier. He was firm and point blank advice would be given whether it was for or against the Government.

Justice Ravichandrabaabu : after my elevation to Bench, the respect he showed to the bench cannot be forgotten. If there was an omission by his party, he would immediately get instructions and if there was anything wrong, he would admit it immediately

Justice Ravichandrabaabu : VTG appeared before me in one case in pre covid days. He was very weak and when I said he could sit and argue, he declined. That was his last appearance in physical court.

Justice Ravichandrabaabu : his last appearance in Virtual court was also before my court. I do not if this is mere coincidence or blessings in disguise

Justice Dr. G Jayachandran, judge of the Madras High Court begins his address.
( Video and Audio not clear)

A recorded session by close associates of VTG , titled " a walk down memory lane" is being streamed
Madras HC lawyers appear in the video
Ms. B. Saraswathi, Mr. K. Ravindranath,
Mr. S. Udayakumar, Mr. Rajnish Pathiyil, Ms. C.N.G Niraimathi, Mr. J. Srinivasa Mohan , among others.

Smt. Bhargavi Gopalan, daughter of Sri VT Gopalan, delivers the vote of thanks

Event ends.

End of thread