Radhabinod Pal, Jurist, International Judge
Jurist, International Judge

Radhabinod Pal

Born 27 January 1886 · West Bengal — Died 10 January 1967

The only judge at the Tokyo Trials who acquitted all Japanese war crime defendants.

Radhabinod Pal was an Indian jurist who was a member of the United Nations' International Law Commission from 1952 to 1966. Pal was one of three Asian judges appointed to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, the "Tokyo Trials" of Japanese war crimes committed during the Second World War. Among all the judges of the tribunal, he was the only one who submitted a judgement which insisted all defendants were not guilty. The Yasukuni Shrine and the Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku Shrine have monuments specially dedicated to Pal.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, known for honoring Japan’s war dead, has a monument dedicated to Radhabinod Pal, the only Tokyo Tribunal judge to acquit all Japanese defendants.

The Story

1
🌏 In 1946, Radhabinod Pal became one of only three Asian judges appointed to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, held in Tokyo to try Japanese war criminals after World War II.
2
In a striking move during the Tokyo Trials, Pal was the sole judge who issued a dissenting judgment declaring all 25 Japanese defendants not guilty of Class A war crimes, challenging the tribunal's use of retroactive laws.
3🎓 Pal excelled academically with an MA in Mathematics from Presidency College, Calcutta in 1908, before shifting to law where he earned his LLM in 1920 standing first in his class at Calcutta University.
4As Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta in 1944, Pal influenced legal education just before India’s independence, bridging colonial and postcolonial legal thought.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan
—
posthumous honor)
—
Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Pal held an MA in Mathematics before pursuing law, excelling at Presidency College and later topping his LLM class at Calcutta University in 1920.

🖼️

Through the Years

3 photographs from the archives
Judge Radhabinod Pal of India at the International Tribunal for the Far East (1946)
Judge Radhabinod Pal of India at the International Tribunal for the Far East (1946)
1946
Justice Radhabinod Pal standing with fellow judges at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (1946)
Justice Radhabinod Pal at his office in Tokyo during the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (1947)

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth in Salimpur, Bengal Presidency
Radhabinod Pal was born in the village of Salimpur, Kushtia, Bengal Presidency, British India, into a Bengali Hindu Vaishnavite family.
1886
📚
Education
Completed MA in Mathematics
Pal completed his MA Honors in Mathematics at Presidency College, Calcutta, demonstrating academic excellence before switching to law.
1908
📚
Education
Earned LLM, topped Calcutta University
Pal received his LLM degree from Calcutta University, standing first in the first class, solidifying his legal credentials.
1920
⚡
Career
Appointed Judge of Calcutta High Court
Pal was appointed as a judge on the Calcutta High Court, marking a significant step in his legal career.
1941
⚡
Career
Vice-Chancellor of University of Calcutta
Pal was appointed Vice-Chancellor, influencing legal education during the final years of British rule in India.
1944
⚡
Career
Served as Judge at Tokyo Trials
Pal served as one of three Asian judges on the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, delivering a historic dissent.
1946
⚡
Career
Joined UN International Law Commission
Pal served as a member of the United Nations International Law Commission until 1966, contributing to shaping international law.
1952
🏅
Award
Received Order of the Sacred Treasure
The Emperor of Japan awarded Pal the First Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure for his judicial work and dissent.
1966
🕊️
Death
Death of Radhabinod Pal
Pal passed away, leaving behind a complex legacy bridging colonial India and post-war international justice.
1967
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 1966, the Japanese Emperor awarded Pal the prestigious First Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, a rare honor for a foreign jurist.

02 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Pal’s 1,235-page dissent rejected the tribunal’s use of ‘crimes against peace’ and ‘crimes against humanity,’ concepts invented at Nuremberg and applied retroactively in Tokyo.

03 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Despite representing British India at the Tokyo Trials, Pal was appointed without consulting the Indian Governor-General’s Secretariat, causing internal objections.

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"The Tokyo Trial is a sham employment of legal process for the satisfaction of a thirst for revenge."

— Radhabinod Pal

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
This Indian is worshiped like a god in Japan
·YouTube
More from this archive
This Indian is worshiped like a god in Japan
01
This Indian is worshiped like a god in Japan
YouTube
Irrfan Khan played a very strong & memorable role of Justice Radhabinod Pal in Tokyo Trial.
02
Irrfan Khan played a very strong & memorable role of Justice Radhabinod Pal in Tokyo Trial.
YouTube
ജപ്പാൻകാരുടെ ഹീറോ ആയി മാറിയ ഇന്ത്യക്കാരൻ | Indian in yasukuni shrine, respected by Japanese people
03
ജപ്പാൻകാരുടെ ഹീറോ ആയി മാറിയ ഇന്ത്യക്കാരൻ | Indian in yasukuni shrine, respected by Japanese people
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Radhabinod Pal’s dissent at the Tokyo Trials challenged the legitimacy of retroactive war crime laws and influenced later debates about victor’s justice in international law. His stance inspired some postcolonial critiques of Western legal dominance and contributed to India’s legal discourse on international justice. Japan’s recognition of Pal through monuments and awards reflects his unique place in the contested memory of World War II justice.

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