Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave has decided to quit legal profession after 48 years at the Bar.
He announced his decision via a WhatsApp message.
“After having spent 48 glorious years at the Bar and having just celebrated 70th wonderful birthday, I have decided to quit the profession of law,” Dave said in his message.
Goodbye to all friends at the Bar and on the Bench, it added.
Dave confirmed the development to Bar and Bench and added that there is no specific reason for his decision except that he wants to make way for younger people.
He also said that he will not be making any exception even if there are important matters.
"No trigger. I am 70 now. Let young people come and do it. No I will not come back even if there is any important case. I have been thinking of hanging up my boots and spending time with my grand kids," he said.
On future plans, Dave said that he is planning to work for the society and to spend time pursuing his passions.
He also expressed his gratitude to his wife Ami for her support through the years.
“I intend to work for the society at large in my own small way in coming times and enjoy my passions of reading, socialising, traveling, golfing and most importantly spending time with my wife Ami, who has stood like rock in my journey.”
Specifically, he spoke about his plant to adopt a taluk near Baroda in Gujarat .
"I want to adopt a taluk in Sankheda and contribute by agriculture, housing etc," he stated.
He added that he will remain in Delhi but will travel between
"I won't be shifting but shuttle between Delhi and Baroda."
No trigger. I am 70 now. Let young people come and do it.Dushyant Dave
Dave is 70 years old.
He began his legal career in 1977, enrolling at the Bar after completing his studies. He started his practice in Ahmedabad where he handled a mix of civil and constitutional matters, before moving to Delhi in the 1990s.
He was designated a Senior Advocate in 1994 by the Supreme Court of India.
Over time, he built a wide-ranging practice in the Supreme Court, appearing in some of the most significant cases of his time.
He also built a prolific practice in arbitration.
He served as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association three times - 2014, 2019 and 2020.
He was also vocal when it came to issues plaguing the Bar, the Bench and the public and did not mince his words when it came to criticising the Bench or the ruling dispensation.
He appeared in several key constitutional and public interest matters at the apex court over the last four decades.
I want to adopt a taluk in Sankheda and contribute by agriculture, housing etc.Dushyant Dave
He thanked his colleagues and clients and described his journey in the law as one marked by “tremendous love and affection from the Bar and mostly from the Bench.”
“More important, the clients have placed full faith in me at all levels in my career and I have tried to give the best to each of them, pro-bono or otherwise. Most of all, I have enjoyed this journey immensely and do believe I have contributed to some extent in quest for justice for all those who needed it so badly," his WhatsApp message said.
He also thanked his personal staff who worked with him
Dave said he is leaving the profession and the administration of justice with a sense of pride and expressed hope that coming generations of lawyers and judges will strongly work towards upholding the "much challenged" rule of law.
Read our 2013 interview of Dushyant Dave here.