Kapil Sibal is a well-known personality in the Indian landscape of law and politics. He has served as a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India. He has also been appointed as a minister multiple times for several government roles. His career is decorated by many legal victories. He has also had a major impact on politics. He is currently appointed as the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association and is also an active member of the upper house of the parliament. This article brings you all the significant details about him and his magnificent career in law and politics along with his contributions to the welfare of society.
Kapil Sibal’s Early Life and Education
Kapil Sibal was born on the 8th of August 1948 in Jalandhar. His father Hira Lal Sibal was also an advocate which inspired Kapil to take Law as his career of choice. He lived in various parts of the country which gave him exposure to many cultures and different languages. Kapil Sibal’s brother Kanwal Sibal is the former Foreign Secretary of India.
Sibal completed high school at St. John’s High School located in Chandigarh in the early 1960s where he actively took part in many debates and other activities that helped shape his strong persona. After schooling, in the year 1965, he was admitted into Str. Stephen’s College where he pursued B.A. in history. After achieving his bachelor’s degree, Kapil then decided to study law and admitted himself into the Faculty of Law at Delhi University where he got a degree in LLB in the year 1972. Kapil also went to study at Harvard University in the USA in the year 1977 for an LLM which exposed him to the international principles of law.
Kapil Sibal’s Personal Life and Interests
Kapil Sibal married Nina Sibal in the year 1973, who passed away in 2000 after battling breast cancer. The couple had two sons namely Amit and Akhil Sibal. Both of his sons from his first marriage are now lawyers. After five years of his first wife’s death, Kapil remarried in 2005 to a social worker named Promila.
One of the major interests of Kapil apart from his hectic work life is writing and poetry. He published many books of poetry and essays under his name which gave the world a glimpse of his thought process on subjects like politics, society, and personal reflections. He was also interested in music and enjoyed listening to music of many genres. Sibal is also an active reader and read many books on history, law, and literature.
Also read: Abhishek Manu Singhvi Net Worth, Career – From Supreme Court Advocate to Politician
Kapil Sibal’s Maginifcent Career as a Lawyer
Kapil Sibal has a glorious career as a lawyer which includes various high-profile cases that had a huge impact on Indian society. Many of these cases were highly sensitive with the sentiments of many different sections of society attached to them. One of the most significant cases of his legal career was the Ram Janmabhoomi – Babri Masjid case where Sibal represented the Sunni Waqf Board. The case was about the disputed land in Ayodhya. Supreme Court ruled in favour of the construction of the Ram Mandir and allotted an alternative land for the construction of the Mosque.
The second significant case of his career would be the 2G Spectrum Case which revolved around the allegations of corruption in the allocation of 2G Spectrum licenses. Sibal represented the accused politicians and businessmen.
Another major case that was a part of his career was the Triple Talaq case which challenged the practice of instant divorce in Islamic law where he represented the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
The next significant case would be the Rafale Deal Controversy that revolved around the allegations of corruption in the procurement of Rafale Fighter Jets. Kapil Sibal challenged the government’s decision in the apex court though the court dismissed them.
Hadiya’s case revolved around women’s right to choose their religion where Sibal represented Hadiya’s father. The court declared Sibal’s arguments of possible “Love Jihad” null and void and maintained Hadiya’s right to choose her religion.
Another significant case would be the Vodafone Tax case where he represented Vodafone and the apex court had a verdict in favour of the company stating that the transaction of capital gain from the company’s acquisition of Hutchison Essar was not taxable.
The Tata Sons VS Cyrus Mistry Case revolved around the corporate governance dispute and Sibal represented Tata Sons.
The Aadhaar case revolved around its constitutional validity and the linking of it to other services. Sibal argued against the linking of Aadhaar.
Sibal also represented Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case which is still ongoing in the court of law. He represented the Sahara Group in the Sahara – SEBI case regarding the failure of Sahara to refund money to its investors and the court directed the group to pay a sum of Rs 24,000 Crores to the investors it failed to pay.
He also represented the Delhi government in the case that revolved around the power tussle between the government and the Lieutenant Governor. The court directed the Lieutenant Governor must advise the government but limited its say on the matters of land, police, and public order.
He was also one of the lawyers in the group that filed a mercy petition for Yakub Memon who was convicted in the Mumbai blasts in the year 1993. However, the court rejected the petition. He also represented the BCCI in that case against the Cricket Association of Bihar which was demanding reforms after the allegations of corruption. The court declared its verdict in the favour of Bihar Association.
Kapil Sibal’s Political Career
Kapil Sibal was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1998 and a member of Lok Sabha in the years 2004 and 2009. He was also appointed to the ministries of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Human Resource Development, Communication & IT, and Law & Justice. He also played an important role in the implementation of the Right to Education Act of 2009.
Kapil Sibal’s as an Author
Kapil Sibal issued many books under his name including “My World Within: Poems by Kapil Sibal” which is a collection of poems, “I Witness: partial Observation” which is a collection of essays, and “Shades of Truth: A Journey Derailed” which is based on the Indian political landscape.
Suggested read: Ram Jethmalani’s Iconic Legal Journey | Advocate, Politician & Author
Kapil Sibal Net Worth 2024
Sibal is considered to be one of the richest lawyers in India. His declared assets in the year 2014 amounted to around Rs 114 Crores including moveable assets worth Rs 12 Crores and immovable assets worth Rs 72 Crores. According to the latest reports, his average fee per hearing is Rs 8 to 16 lakh.
Conclusion
Kapil Sibal was honoured with Padma Bhushan and the Jawahar Lal Nehru Birth Centenary award. He was also offered an honorary degree of Doctor of Literature and was conferred the Lifetime Achievement award for his excellence in the legal field by the Legal Era magazine in the year 2016. Kapil Sibal and his remarkable journey as a lawyer and a politician inspired many young men to fight for the greater good and achieve success along with helping those in need. He was never afraid of speaking his mind and this quality of his stood out and gave his personality a unique edge.