Indian Chief Justice DY Chandrachud delivered an emotional farewell speech on his last working day reflecting upon the very influential tenure he has had with the Supreme Court. The CJI, who retires on November 10, thanked the country from the heart and said serving the nation will never feel better than today, “There is no greater feeling than being able to serve those in need.” A special fourjudge ceremonial bench was constituted, comprising CJI-designate Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, to felicitate him.
Showing signs of choked emotion, it was on his last day of service that CJI Chandrachud shared the motivation that had been his fuel for when he spoke of how the court itself had been a continued source of learning and purpose. “You asked me what keeps me going,” he began, “It is this court which has kept me going because there is not a single day when you feel that you have not learned something, that you have not had an opportunity to serve society.” He added, “And there is no greater feeling than being able to serve those in need and the people you would never meet, people you possibly do not even know, people whose lives you have the ability to affect without ever having seen them.”
Being as respected as his father, former CJI YV Chandrachud, who had practised in this country from 1978 to 1985, DY Chandrachud, who took over the office on 9 November 2022, has significantly contributed to India’s judicial landscape. Justice Khanna greeted with tributes the Attorney General R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Kapil Sibal. Sibal eulogized the commitment of CJI Chandrachud towards inclusivity, “the extraordinary son of an extraordinary father”. “In my life, I have never seen a judge with the kind of limitless patience that you have, the ever-smiling Dr Chandrachud,” he said. Saluting his approach to justice, Sibal said, “You reached out to communities in this country, who were never heard before. You brought them before you and showed what dignity meant for them.”
Justice Khanna also showered appreciation for his outgoing colleague saying, “He has made my task easy and tough. Easy because of the revolutions ushered in and tough because I cannot walk up to him.” Former Attorney General KK Venugopal added a personal note, recalling that he had once advised Justice Chandrachud’s father against urging him to become a judge, though he later appreciated the impact of Chandrachud’s judicial career.
A Harvard Law graduate, he takes degrees from St. Stephen’s College and Delhi University. During his tenure as CJI, he has given certain landmark judgments; one of them is abrogation of certain parts of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and, pertaining to the law, upholding the Special Marriage Act framework but not expanding it to same-sex marriages and seeking parliamentary discussion over the matter instead. He was a vociferous advocate for the fundamental rights of the LGBTQ+ community. He believed they too needed dignity and protection from discrimination. Once again, in another landmark judgment, he led the court to quash the electoral bonds scheme, ushering in sharper transparency into political funding as he put a stop to further issuance of electoral bonds by the State Bank of India.
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CJI Chandrachud said at the end that it was his honor to serve both the institution and the cause of justice. “I always knew of the prevalent presence of this court’s greats and the weight of responsibility that comes with sitting in this chair. At the end of the day, though, it is not about the individual; it is about the institution and the cause of justice we uphold here,” he told the court. He thanked all who had contributed to the journey and apologized for all unintentional mistakes, saying, “If I have ever hurt anyone, I seek your forgiveness.”
This is a career with judicial achievements and true affection for the cause of public service and values like equality and integrity. And his legacy marks an epitome of commitment to a just and inclusive India-testimony to this by not just colleagues but the judiciary in its entirety.