Legacy of Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud

Share on:

Former CJI DY Chandrachud: Education and Career

Justice Dhananjay Y. Chandrachud, often known as DY Chandrachud, served as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) from November 9, 2022, to his retirement on November 10, 2024. His tenure was marked by various landmark decisions, progressive reforms, and a tireless commitment to upholding the Constitution. Justice Chandrachud's approach to law and justice has been characterized by an unwavering belief in protecting fundamental rights, expanding civil liberties, and focusing on making the legal system more accessible and transparent to the public. 

Born into a family of legal luminaries, his father, Justice Y.V. Chandrachud, served as the 16th CJI, DY Chandrachud's path to the highest office in India's judiciary was shaped by both his intellectual brilliance and a deep sense of public duty. Justice Chandrachud pursued his undergraduate studies in economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, and subsequently graduated with a law degree from the prestigious Faculty of Law, Delhi University. He then went on to complete a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School, where he gained an international perspective on constitutional law, human rights, and comparative jurisprudence. His academic foundation laid the groundwork for his future in India's legal system.

Justice Chandrachud's legal career began in earnest in 1982 when he enrolled as an advocate at the Supreme Court of India. In June 1998, he was designated a Senior Advocate by the Bombay High Court and the same year he was appointed an Additional Solicitor General of India. In 2000, he was appointed a judge of the Bombay High Court where he served until his appointment as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court in 2013. Justice Chandrachud was appointed to the Supreme Court of India in 2016. During his 8 year service at the Supreme Court, he has authored approximately 600 judgments and been part of over 1,200 benches. Let us explore some of the landmark judgments of Justice DY Chandrachud.

Landmark Judgments

Some of the important judgments in which Justice Chandrachud was a part of the bench are as follows:

• Judgment Name: Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) & Anr. vs Union Of India & Ors.
  • Judgment Date: August 24, 2017
  • Decision: The nine-judge bench of the SC passed a unanimous decision reaffirming the right to privacy as a fundamental right in the Indian Constitution. Justice Chandrachud highlighted that Life and personal liberty are inalienable rights that are inseparable from a dignified human existence. 
• Judgment Name: Supriyo @ Supriya Chakraborty vs. Union of India
  • Judgment Date: October 17, 2023
  • Decision: The Constitution bench of the SC struck down the colonial-era law criminalizing same-sex relations (Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code), affirming the right to dignity and equality for the LGBTQ+ community. The bench said, “This court can’t make law. It can only interpret it and give effect to it.” Justice Chandrachud, who had been a strong advocate for gender and sexual orientation equality, played a central role in this judgment, emphasizing the need for a society free from discrimination. 
• Judgment Name: The State of Punjab & Ors. vs. Davinder Singh & Ors.
  • Judgment Date: August 01, 2024,
  • Decision: The seven-judge bench overruled the EV Chinnaiah vs. State of Andhra Pradesh judgment and held that sub-classification of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes is permissible. While pronouncing the judgment, CJI said, “Sub-classification is one of the means to achieve substantive equality.”
• Judgment Name: In Re: Section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955
  • Judgment Date: October 17, 2024
  • Decision: The SC bench upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which deals with ‘Special provisions as to the citizenship of persons covered by the Assam Accord’. 
• Judgment Name: Aligarh Muslim University vs. Naresh Agarwal & Ors. 
  • Judgment Date: November 08, 2024
  • Decision: The 7-judge bench overruled the S. Azeez Basha vs. Union of India (1967) judgment which rejected the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and held that an institution incorporated by a statute cannot claim to be a minority institution.
• Judgment Name: Mineral Area Development Authority & Anr. vs. M/S Steel Authority of India & Anr etc. 
  • Judgment Date: July 25, 2024.
  • Decision: The bench ruled that ‘royalty’ is not the same as ‘tax’ and the States have the power to levy tax on mining and mineral-use activities. It overruled its 1998 judgment in the India Cements case holding royalty to be a tax. The majority judgment in this case was authored by former CJI Chandrachud. In his judgment, he also elaborated on the difference between a tax and a royalty. 

Apart from these, Justice Chandrachud delivered various other judgments and his tenure as CJI was a transformative period for India's judiciary. Through his leadership, India’s highest court not only strengthened its commitment to fundamental rights and social justice but also embraced a future where the judiciary is transparent, accessible, and responsive to the needs of the people. Moreover, he encouraged his fellow judges to use technology and contributed to the digitalization of Courts. As a jurist, his contributions go far beyond the letters of the law, he has helped pave the way for a more inclusive, fair, and accountable legal system in India.