Justice DY Chandrachud set to become the next Chief Justice of India

Justice DY Chandrachud set to become the next Chief Justice of India

The President of India has appointed Justice DY Chandrachud as the next Chief Justice of India. He would be the 50th Chief Justice of India.

He will take oath on November 9, after incumbent CJI Justice Uday Umesh Lalit demits office on attaining the age of 65. CJI Uday Umesh Lalit had recommended the name of Justice D.Y Chandrachud as his successor on October 11. Justice Chandrachud will have one of the longest terms as the Chief Justice of India for over two years till November 10, 2024.

Justice Chandrachud, presently the senior-most Supreme Court judge after Justice UU Lalit, was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016.

Justice Chandrachud is known for his liberal and progressive judgments, the most recent one being the verdict upholding the rights of unmarried women, to seek abortion of pregnancy up to 24 weeks. He was part of the majority which upheld the right of women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple. Justice Chandrachud was also a member of the 5 –judge bench which decided the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid case.

Justice DY Chandrachud, during his tenure as a Supreme Court Judge overturned two of the judgments of his father – Justice YV Chandrachud was the 16th Chief Justice of India.

Justice Chandrachud was the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from 31 October 2013 until appointment to the Supreme Court in May 2016. He was a Judge of the Bombay High Court from 29 March 2000 until appointment as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.

He has also served as the Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 until his appointment as a Judge. He has practised law at the Supreme Court of India and the Bombay High Court.

Justice Chandrachud has delivered lectures at the Australian National University, Harvard Law School, Yale Law School and the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Justice Chandrachud obtained LLB from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University and LLM degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences (SJD) from Harvard Law School, USA.