Renowned legal luminary Suresh Shelat, a former Advocate General of Gujarat and distinguished senior counsel at the Gujarat High Court, breathed his last on Sunday after a brief illness. He was 85 years old and had commenced his legal practice in the year 1967.Shelat was the Advocate General of Gujarat from 2000 to 2006, voluntarily resigning from the post in January 2006. With a...
Renowned legal luminary Suresh Shelat, a former Advocate General of Gujarat and distinguished senior counsel at the Gujarat High Court, breathed his last on Sunday after a brief illness. He was 85 years old and had commenced his legal practice in the year 1967.
Shelat was the Advocate General of Gujarat from 2000 to 2006, voluntarily resigning from the post in January 2006. With a remarkable career spanning 56 years in the Gujarat High Court, he was designated as a senior advocate in September 1995, concurrently being appointed as an additional advocate general during the same year.
Having succeeded the late Advocate General JM Thakkar, Shelat became the second individual to undertake the mantle of Advocate General in the year 2000.
In addition to his responsibilities within the high court, Shelat also served as a central government counsel for the department of income-tax, central excise, and customs. His legal acumen extended to municipal corporations and various organizations.
Shelat's impact extended beyond the courtroom, as he was an active member of the governing body of the Gujarat Law Society and in the executive committee of the Brihad Gujarat Sanskrit Parishad. His commitment to legal education and cultural organizations underscored his holistic approach to community service.
The legacy of Suresh Shelat also encompassed his representation in significant legal cases, notably the infamous Best Bakery case in Vadodara that emerged during the 2002 Gujarat riots. His expertise in civil and constitutional laws garnered him respect among his peers and the legal fraternity.
Survived by his wife Purnimaben and daughter Vaibhavi Nanavati, who currently serves as a judge in the High Court, Suresh Shelat leaves behind a family rooted in the legal domain. His father, Nanoobhai Shelat, was also a distinguished judge of the High Court.