November 29,2018:

Name of Legal Stalwart: Mr. Aziz Hooseinally Visram (Advocate & Solicitor).

Solicitor’s Date of Enrollment: 21/10/1959.

Area of Practice: Specializing in Real Estate Laws and Civil Matters.

Contact: 022 2204 9723.

Introduction:

Mr. Aziz Hooseinally Visram is in active practice having experience of more than 50 years in Laws relating to properties in India & UK. He is a Senior Partner of Hooseinally Visram & Co. an Advocates & Solicitors firm in Mumbai. He stood 1st in Solicitor's exam in 1958. He had been a part time Professor of Government Law College from 1962 to 1966 below is the interview of Mr. Aziz H. Visram sharing his life experiences and journey in the legal world.

The Student Interviewer, Femina Vinod Janodia is a student of TY.BLS/LL.B at Asmita College of Law, University of Mumbai, Maharashtra. Q1. How was your early childhood & schooling?

Ans. School was a delightful experience, I was in St. Xavier’s High School and the staff of our School was superb. I passed in 1951 and the wonder of wonder is that our 1951 batch mates that passed together the SSC exams also meet at least once in a year reviving nostalgic memories of our school days.

Q2. Are you a first generation Lawyer?

Ans. My grandfather was a Barrister with a thumping practice, my father was a Solicitor and I was anxious of becoming one and therefore got a first class in the LLB exams and stood first in the Solicitor’s exam and was enrolled as Solicitor after being enrolled as an Advocate earlier on the 21st of October 1959. I was facilitated for completing 50 years of practice and even today I am in active practice specializing in property laws.

Q3. How was your experience in Law School?

Ans. It was a wonderful experience as I had outstanding teachers including the great Shri Ram Jhethmalani who taught us private International Laws. As I had passed in first class I was appointed a fellow of the Bombay University teaching LLB students and within no time I was appointed a part time Professor in the Government Law College in 1962 at a fancy salary of Rupees 284/- even today some of my students have become Judges not only in the High Court but also in the Supreme Court.

Q4. How do you think that the Law School education has changed since then?

Ans. I am of the firm opinion at the Legal Education has ostensibly improved covering a wide grade of practical subjects and what is outstanding is that it is attracting more and more women.

Q5. Would you like to share any experience of your first day/case in Court?

Ans. Let me start by my experience as the first day as a Professor of the Law college, staying at Churchgate just opposite the Government Law College, I walked up suited-booted to the college and had taken a bag when somebody thumped me on the back and said   “What are you doing here in the suit”? it so happens that this student has failed and was my colleague earlier when I was a student and now I had become a Professor, even today that student remembers me, In court we had such great judges like Justice Tendulkar whose voice was so loud and clear that you can hear him just you are entering the Bombay High Court premises. During this time over the 50 years of practice I would require a whole book to give the good and frightening experiences as a practicing Lawyer.

Q6. Please share any memorable cases you dealt in your profession journey.

Ans. At the outset I dealt with the matter dealing to an inheritance of lady who was to receive the same from her mother whom she had not seen and was living in London after she was born her father divorced his English bride who left for England and became a rich woman. Upon reading an article in the newspaper which fitted the lady perfectly, I took up the matter and went to London in 1969 receiving only 5 pounds from the Reserve Bank, I fought the case in court proving that she was the daughter and entitled to the estate and succeeded in getting her a very large estate, which she did not know how to spend it as it was like a windfall for her even today after she has died the estate has been given to charity.

In another instance I was acting for a estranged mother who have been thrown out by her husband living the child in the hands of the father. Upon applying for possession of the child in the Court as the child was only 9 months old the husband came to my office with the child and opened the window of my Chamber and took the child in his hands and told me that if I proceed with the application he would drop the child dead from outside the window, it was an herculean job to pacify the husband, the next day in Court the Judge called in his Chamber with the child and told the husband to give the child to him the Judge then handed over the child to the mother and told his security to hold on to the husband. That child is now a grown up person living happily with his family.

Q7. Please share us the strengths of the Indian Legal System which makes it the strongest pillar of democracy?

Ans. In democracy the Courts have a very great role to play and in all stages have to afoul Justice, Equity and Good conscience which they are doing very well.

Q8. What according to you are the areas where legal system in our country needs to improve?

Ans. I find that compared to other countries our legal system is one of the best.

Q9. What is your wisdom and success mantra for young legal professions?

Never take a holiday for the first 10 years of your practice and don’t get disheartened even if you don’t get any cases but work 12 hours a day and always be seated in the Court library reading some law or the other. Work hard on your case so that hearing you, you may get other clients as I used to work for 12 hours a day and use to send a notice even for a fancy amount of Rupees 5/- in year 1959.

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