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Saurabh Kirpal Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth18 April 1972

Age50 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceDelhi

ProfessionSenior advocate at Delhi High Court

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Bhupinder Nath Kirpal; Mother - Aruna Kirpal; two siblings

Saurabh Kirpal Biography

Saurabh Kirpal is an Indian senior advocate and LGBTQ+ activist from Delhi. Trained at St. Stephen’s College, Oxford and Cambridge, he has litigated in the

Early life and background

Saurabh Kirpal was born on 18 April 1972 in Delhi and grew up with an early interest in science and astronomy. He completed a B.Sc. (Honours) in Physics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and went on to study law at the University of Oxford after securing a scholarship. He later earned a Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge. Kirpal has described a long personal journey toward accepting his sexuality and has spoken about coming out to his parents in his mid-to-late twenties.

Career

After completing his postgraduate law degree, Kirpal had a brief stint with the United Nations in Geneva in the early 1990s. He returned to India in the 1990s to practise at the Supreme Court of India, building a litigation career across civil, commercial and constitutional matters. Over more than two decades at the bar he worked under senior lawyers, including Mukul Rohatgi, and represented a number of high-profile clients.

Kirpal was part of the legal team that successfully challenged Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He argued in the Navtej Singh Johar case that led to the decriminalisation of consensual adult homosexual conduct in September 2018. He also serves as a trustee of the Naz Foundation Trust, an organisation that played a notable role in litigation around Section 377.

In March 2021, all 31 judges of the Delhi High Court unanimously endorsed his elevation to the rank of senior advocate at the Delhi High Court. In November 2021 the Supreme Court collegium again recommended his appointment as a judge of the Delhi High Court, a move widely noted because he would be the first openly gay person to be recommended for that judiciary post in India.

Public profile

Kirpal is publicly identified as gay and has been open about his long-term relationship with Nicolas Germain Bachmann, who has worked with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in New Delhi and is described in reports as a Swiss human rights activist. Kirpal’s father is Bhupinder Nath Kirpal, who served as the 31st Chief Justice of India; his mother is Aruna Kirpal. He has two siblings.

Beyond litigation, Kirpal is an author. In 2020 he edited and published an anthology titled Sex and the Supreme Court: How the Law is Upholding the Dignity of the Indian Citizen, a collection of writings by judges and prominent lawyers on legal reforms and dignity. He has said that mentors in his professional life include his father and Mukul Rohatgi.

Personal interests and traits

Kirpal has noted an enduring interest in non-fiction on social sciences and philosophy and listens to Indian classical music. Physical descriptions available in public records list dark brown eyes and black hair. He has also been reported to enjoy certain alcoholic beverages.

Controversies and appointments

Kirpal’s recommended elevation to the Delhi High Court bench in October 2017 drew public attention after the Supreme Court collegium deferred his appointment on multiple occasions. Media coverage and Kirpal’s own statements addressed concerns that the repeated delays may have been influenced by his sexual orientation and by questions raised about his partner’s nationality. After several years, his career progressed with the senior advocate designation in March 2021 and the renewed collegium recommendation in November 2021.

Latest updates

As of the most recent reports in late 2021 and early 2023, the Supreme Court collegium reiterated support for Kirpal’s elevation to the Delhi High Court bench and stated that his partner’s nationality should not be read as disqualifying. The collegium described him as an asset to the judiciary.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Saurabh Kirpal, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Sex and the Supreme Court: How the Law is Upholding the Dignity of the Indian Citizen

Editor and contributor to an anthology of writings by Indian judges and lawyers on law and dignity.

2020
Recommended for designation as judge at the Delhi High Court

Name recommended again by the Supreme Court collegium for appointment as a Delhi High Court judge.

November 2021
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Career Highlights

  1. Brief stint with the United Nations in Geneva in the early 1990s
  2. Practised at the Supreme Court of India from the late 1990s
  3. Appointed senior advocate at the Delhi High Court in March 2021
  4. Recommended for elevation to the Delhi High Court by the Supreme Court collegium in November 2021
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Saurabh Kirpal born?

Saurabh Kirpal was born on 18 April 1972.

What is Saurabh Kirpal known for?

Saurabh Kirpal is known for senior advocate at Delhi High Court.

What is Saurabh Kirpal’s marital status?

Saurabh Kirpal's marital status is listed as Unmarried.