Background
Pathak, Raghunandan Swarup was born on November 25, 1924 in Bareilly, United Provinces, India. Son of Gopal Swarup and Prakashwati Pathak.
Pathak, Raghunandan Swarup was born on November 25, 1924 in Bareilly, United Provinces, India. Son of Gopal Swarup and Prakashwati Pathak.
Bachelor of Science, Allahabad (India) University, 1945. Diploma of proficiency in French and German languages, Allahabad (India) University, 1946. Bachelor of Laws, Allahabad (India) University, 1947.
Master of Arts in Political Science, Allahabad (India) University, 1948. Doctor of Laws honoris causa, Agra (India) University, 1988. Doctor of Laws honoris causa, Punjab (India) University, 1988.
Doctor of Letters honoris causa, Kashi Vidyapeth, Varanasi, India, 1987.
He was one of the two judges from India to have been on the International Court of Justice in The Hague (the other being Nagendra Singh who served as its President from 1985 to 1988). After practising law at Allahabad, he became Judge at Allahabad High Court in 1962 and later Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court in 1972. Pathak was made a judge at Supreme Court of India in 1978 and became its 18th Chief Justice on 21 December 1986.
He is remembered as a judge who was a man of the middle and was able to bring relative peace to the Court.
He served as Chief justice for two and a half years during which time a dozen judges were appointed to the Court. Pathak facilitated an out of court settlement between Union Carbide Corporation and the Government of India in 1989 regarding the compensation to be paid for the Bhopal gas tragedy.
The government had sought $3.3 billion but received only $470 million and the settlement resulted in the dropping of criminal liability charges against Carbide in the case. The Supreme Court in 1991 upheld the settlement in 1991 thus ending Carbide"s liability in the case.
Pathak was elected a judge of the International Court of Justice and served in that position from 1989 to 1991.
He was elected in "casual election" that was held following the death of M. Nagendra Singh, an Indian judge who was then serving his second term at the International Court. In 1991 India decided not to renominate Pathak, who however entered the fray with the backing of Ireland. After the Irish government came under attack in the Dail from MPs who blamed Pathak for approving, as Chief Justice of India, the $470-million settlement with Union Carbide, Pathak withdrew from the race.
In November 2005, Justice Pathak was appointed to inquire into alleged Indian links in the Oil-for-Food Programme.
On 3 August 2006, he submitted his 90-page report which indicted suspended Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh. R. South. Pathak died on 17 November 2007, at the age of 82 following a heart attack.
Pro-chancellor University Delhi, 1986-1989. President India International Rural Cultural Center, New Delhi, 1986-1989. Patron-in-chief Indian Council for Child Education, New Delhi.
Member International Law Association (organizer regional and Indian branches Allahabad Center 1969-1972, member executive committee regional and Indian branches 1978-1986, president Indian branch 1986-1989, member executive council, committee on space law, committee on enforcement of human rights), Indian Society International Law (founder, member executive committee 1960-1965, honorary vice president 1975-1981, vice president 1982-1986, honorary president 1986-1988, president since 1989, editor-in-chief Indian Journal International Law), Delhi Golf Club, Delhi Gymkhana Club.
Married Asha Paranjpe. Children: Vivek, Jai, Anand.