Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali

Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali (20 December 1920 – 20 August 1985) was a judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Early life He was born in an aristocratic Shia Muslim family to Khan Bahadur Sir Sayyid Fazal Ali, the Governor of Assam and Odisha. He received his primary education in St. Joseph Convent, Patna (Bihar) and passed Matriculation in 1936 and B.A.(Hons.) in English in 1940. He attended the I.C.S. Coaching Classes of the Aligarh University from 1942 to 1943. He passed B.L. (Bachelor of Laws) from Patna University in First Division.

Career He was enrolled as an Advocate on 8 November 1944 and practised on Civil, Criminal, Original and Constitutional sides of the High Court as also in the Subordinate Courts. He was also on the panel of State Lawyers. He was appointed Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on 9 April 1958 and Chief Justice of the said High Court in December 1967. He was Chairman of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal in the year 1971, Vice-chairman of the Amar Singh Club, Srinagar, a Member of the Nehru Award Jury from February 1972 to February 1975. He was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 2 April 1975. He is one of the very few judges, who died in office of Supreme Court of India.