Justice DY Chandrachud, a favourite among liberals, takes oath as 50th Chief Justice of India

Justice DY Chandrachud took oath as the 50th Chief Justice of India on Wednesday. He will have a tenure of 2 years at the Supreme Court. The CJI was a judge at the apex court for over 6 years. 

The newly-appointed CJI is known for his progressive judgments, and seen as a favourite among liberals. He has made observations on crucial issues including fundamental rights, women rights, LGBTQ+ rights, privacy rights and more. He was part of benches that delivered verdicts on the Ayodhya dispute, decriminalising homosexuality, validity of Aadhaar scheme, Sabarimala temple case, expanding the scope of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, and permanent posting of women officers in the Army.

Justice Chandrachud succeeded former Chief Justice UU Lalit, who took charge on August 27 and retired on November 8, a period of 74 days. Before stepping down, Justice UU Lalit recommended the name of Justice Chandrachud as his successor. 

"In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Dr. Justice Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud, Judge of the Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India with effect from 09th November 2022," said a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Justice Chandrachud is the son of Justice Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud – the longest serving CJI. They are the only father-son duo to have taken up the top spot in the apex court’s history. 

The CJI pursued his BA (Honours) in Economics from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College, LLB from Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre and LLM and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences from Harvard Law School. He practiced at the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court. 

Also read: Justice DY Chandrachud to be India’s next CJI; all you need to know about the next Chief Justice

Also read: Justice DY Chandrachud appointed as next Chief Justice of India