Anand Grover is an Indian lawyer known for legal activism in Indian law relating tohomosexuality andHIV. Along with his wifeIndira Jaising, he is a founder-member of theLawyers Collective. He was theUnited Nations Special Rapporteur on theright to health from August 2008 to July 2014. He is currently an acting member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
With the Lawyers Collective Grover led theNaz Foundation's legal case for the repeal ofSection 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which was a law criminalizinghomosexuality in India.[1]
Grover led the Lawyers Collective court case againstNovartis regarding an interpretation ofAgreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights which would determine the patent status ofantiretroviral drugs in India. The result of the case was that the Lawyers Collective prevailed and certain drugs became ineligible for patenting, thus keeping the price of the medications in line with generic medication costs.[2]
Grover represented the Cancer Patients Aid Association as an attorney and won the legal fight against drug maker Novartis on the issue of patent of cancer drugGlivec.[3]On the night beforeYakub Memon was scheduled to be executed, Anand Grover along with other senior lawyers of the Supreme Court, sought appointment from the Chief Justice of India,H. L. Dattu at his residence. After the Chief Justice constituted a 3 Judge bench, Grover argued for the mandatory 14-day period between the rejection of the mercy plea of a condemned prisoner, and the execution of the death warrant, as per the guidelines set by theSupreme Court of India in the Shatrughan Chauhan vs Union of India case.[4] Grover argued that an earlier mercy petition submitted to the President was by his brother, and that since all the legal remedies available to the prisoner, including a curative petition, stood exhausted only a day before his scheduled hanging, only the final mercy petition submitted by Yakub himself must be taken into account while evaluating upon the 14-day period. However the Supreme Court rejected the argument noting that Yakub had not disowned the earlier mercy petition by his brother. The bench commented that delaying Yakub's hanging anymore would amount to travesty of justice.[5] Grover expressed disappointment and unhappiness over the judgement and termed it as a tragic mistake.[6]
Grover representedShreya Tripathi in her successful efforts to obtainbedaquiline for the treatment of herextensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.[7]
Grover is a member of theUNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights and a Special Rapporteur in theUnited Nations Human Rights Council. His duty in this position is to promote the right to physical and mental health.[8]
In 2015Hansal Mehta's Bollywood filmAligarh, ActorAshish Vidyarthi played the role of advocate Anand Grover.[9]
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United Nations special rapporteurs bear mandates from theUnited Nations Human Rights Council and may hold the titles special rapporteur, independent expert or special representative of the Secretary-General, and are also referred to simply as mandate-holders. | ||
