M. C. Setalvad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Attorney General for India | |
| In office 28 January 1950 – 1 March 1963 | |
| Chairman, 1st Law Commission of India | |
| In office 1955–1958 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1884 (1884) |
| Died | 1974 (aged 89–90) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Parent | Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad |
| Relatives | Teesta Setalvad (grand daughter) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | India's firstAttorney General. |
Motilal Chimanlal Setalvad (c. 1884 – 1974) was anIndianjurist. Setalvad was the first and longest servingAttorney General for India, serving from 1950 to 1963.[1] He also remained the Chairman of the firstLaw Commission of India (1955–1958), which has mandated forlegal reform in the country byGovernment of India. He became the first Chairman of theBar Council of India in 1961.[2]
He was awarded thePadma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor, by theGovernment of India in 1957.[3]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The son of noted lawyerChimanlal Harilal Setalvad, Setalvad was born inBombay. He studied atGovernment Law College, Mumbai.
Setalvad started practicing law in Bombay and eventually became Advocate General of Bombay and Attorney General for India in 1950, in the formative years of Government of India, underJawaharlal Nehru.
Setalvad appeared for the government in a host of important and, at times, controversial cases. He was also involved with theRadcliffe Tribunal for demarcation of the India-Pakistan border and severalUN proceedings on Kashmir. He chaired the first Law Commission of independent India, in which capacity he not just advised the government on crucial reforms and legislation but also created a framework for the Commission’s future functioning.[4]
Setalvad died in 1974.[5]
His son, Atul Setalvad (25 October 1933 - 22 July 2010)[6] was a Mumbai-based lawyer and his daughter-in-law Sita Setalvad, a rural crafts exponent, while his granddaughter,Teesta Setalvad, is an activist and journalist.[7]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
