The name beholds power, justice and hope!
Open the newspaper and the first few articles above the fold are sure to have a mention of the name ‘Justice DY Chandrachud’- in connection to any prevailing legal issue of interest. Even for those who have just a surface knowledge of the news and law, the name of Justice DY Chandrachud strikes a bell.
So, who is this dynamic personality who’s currently India’s 50th Chief Justice?
A month back, the daily news headlines were all about the historic swearing-in of Justice DY Chandrachud as the 50th Chief Justice of India. These tidings were of interest to the general public, and to the country at large because of more than one reason.
The 50th Chief Justice of India calls himself an ‘accidental lawyer’—following in his father’s footsteps to become Chief Justice of India 37 years later, on November 9, 2022. Incidentally, this is the first time in history a father-son duo have both achieved the status of Chief Justice of India, a landmark in the judicial system.
Born on November 11, 1959, Dhananjaya Yeswant Chandrachud graduated from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi in 1979, achieving meritorious scores in the discipline of Economics.
At that time, he wasn’t aware that he was to take up the profession of his father—who was notable as Judge Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, the 16th Chief Justice of India from 1978 to 1985.
Justice DY Chandrachud’s father served as Chief Justice for tenure of seven years—the longest term in office for any Chief Justice. It was his father who advised him to pursue law, whereupon he joined Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre. His future as a lawyer, judge, and ultimately, Chief Justice of India took root in the three years; he spent at Campus Law Centre.
After completing his Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree at Campus Law Centre, DY Chandrachud pursued his Masters of Law (LLM) from Harvard, USA, where he was awarded a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences. There was no looking back then—from serving as Additional Solicitor-General of India in 1998 to becoming Chief Justice of the Allahabad Court in 2013
Justice Chandrachud, who is outspoken on issues, including women lawyer’s rights, the collegium system, and feminism, spoke about how his domestic help, Bhimbai, was a guiding force that inspired him in his childhood. He has commented on how the Constitution of India is a “feminist and egalitarian” document that broke away from the dominance of colonial-era traditions, at the 8th Dr LM Singhvi Memorial Lecture on Friday, December 3.
His father, too, set the standard by which his own values would be shaped in the coming years. “Arrogance of power is destructive of an open mind,” he stated, talking about the values he learned from his father in his inaugural speech at the swearing-in ceremony.
According to him, “Dissent is the safety-valve of democracy.” Speaking to Ananthakrishnan G for the Economic Times on the evening before being sworn in as the 50th CJI, Justice Chandrachud emphasized on the need for the judiciary to become more people-friendly, and act as a way to solve the grievances of citizens in a timely manner.
“I am committed to implementing and abiding by the Constitution… When I emphasize individual dignity, I equally emphasize social cohesion because as judges of the highest court, our judgments must also speak to the need to preserve a tranquil and stable social fabric,” the CJI said in the Economic Times interview.
According to him, judgements have to be delivered in the light of the prevailing social structures, customs, and attitudes of the day, and there cannot be a reliance on the social context of 50 years ago.
The vocalist- CJI has been a part of several landmark judgements and is notable for his views on citizen’s fundamental rights. He upheld the Right to Privacy as a fundamental right. He was also part of the bench of justices who delivered judgements on the decriminalization of same-sex relations after dismissing Section 377 of the IPC.
He has also headed a bench that expanded the rules of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy act (MTP), which now allows unmarried women to undergo an abortion under 20-24 weeks of pregnancy.
Timeline:
● Born on November 11, 1959, to Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud and Prabha Chandrachud
● Graduated from St. Stephens, Delhi, with a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Economics in 1979
● Designated as a Senior Advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998
● Appointed Judge of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000
● Served as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013
● Appointed Judge of the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016
● Sworn in as Chief Justice of India (CJI) on November 9, 2022, until November 10, 2024, successor to outgoing CJI U.U Lalit
Written by- Christalle Fernandes
Edited by- Kushi Mayur