Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta on Sunday delivered a candid, humorous, and deeply personal address as the Author at the launch of his books “The Bench, the Bar and the Bizarre” and “The Lawful and the Awful” at Bharat Mandapam, describing the occasion as one of the most “unusual” appearances of his legal career.
Addressing a gathering comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, sitting and former judges of the Supreme Court, members of the Bar, and distinguished guests, Mr Mehta expressed gratitude for the audience’s presence on a Sunday evening.
“You were not supposed to be here. You have chosen to be here,” he remarked, thanking attendees for making the occasion “momentous” in his life.
Opening his speech with characteristic wit, the Solicitor General observed that lawyers are generally comfortable discussing “what is lawful” and occasionally familiar with “what is awful,” but added that the true challenge was distinguishing between the two.
“Nobody till they read the book will be able to decide what is lawful and what is awful or both,” he quipped.
Mr Mehta described the books as a deliberate departure from conventional legal writing. Clarifying that the works were neither academic treatises nor scholarly critiques, he emphasised that they were collections of true stories drawn from legal systems and courtroom experiences across jurisdictions.
According to him, the books were consciously written in a lighter genre to explore the human side of law, advocacy, and judicial functioning through humour, irony, and unusual courtroom episodes.
The Solicitor General also explained why he had consciously avoided including anecdotes from Indian courts or judges. While noting that he continues to practise actively in India and intends to do so for many years, he humorously suggested that restraint was perhaps the wiser course.
He further remarked that although he is often perceived as sceptical of relying excessively on foreign jurisprudence in constitutional interpretation, the books demonstrate that he has extensively studied comparative legal systems and international judicial experiences.
Speaking warmly about the dignitaries present at the event, Mr Mehta expressed particular gratitude to Home Minister Amit Shah, observing that the Home Minister’s presence was rooted in personal affection and longstanding relationships beyond public office.
In one of the lighter moments of the evening, the Solicitor General narrated anecdotes involving books being rediscovered at scrap shops and humorously linked the story to Gujarati business instincts and literature.
Concluding his address with warmth and humour, Mr Mehta urged members of the audience to leave the auditorium not merely with memories of the evening, but also with copies of his books.
“Please accept them with my love and with my compliments,” he said, drawing applause from the gathering.