Supreme Court judge DY Chandrachud took oath as the 50th Chief Justice of India on Wednesday.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of Office of the Chief Justice of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan. With the oath-taking being complete, Chandrachud become the 50th CHI succeeding Justice UU Lalit who recommended Chandrachud’s name. Justice Chandrachud will have a tenure till November 10, 2024. Justice Chandrachud is the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court.
Justice Chandrachud, born on November 11, 1959, was appointed judge of the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016. His father Justice YV Chandrachud was the 16th Chief Justice of India serving from February 2, 1978, to July 11, 1985.
Justice Chandrachud was the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013, until his appointment to the Supreme Court. He was the judge of the Bombay High Court from March 29, 2000, until his appointment as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
Justice Chandrachud had also served as Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 until his appointment as a judge in the Bombay High Court. He was designated as a senior advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998.
On Monday, Justice Chandrachud said he has very big-sized shoes to fill in and said he hopes to continue the good work initiated by UU Lalit. “Personally, as your successor, I am conscious that I have very big-sized shoes to fill because you have really raised the bar for the chief justice,” Justice Chandrachud said at the farewell function of UU Lalit organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association.
Justice Chandrachud, on the other hand, delivered landmark judgments including decriminalising Section 377, on Aadhaar, Sabarimala etc. Recently, a bench headed by Justice Chandrachud allowed unmarried women for Medical Termibation of Pregnancy.