India's new CJI: Senior-most Supreme Court judge and CJI-designate Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud became the 50th head of the Indian judiciary on Wednesday after President Draupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to him at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
His illustrious father Y V Chandrachud was the longest-serving Chief Justice of India (CJI) and remained at the helm from February 22, 1978 to July 11, 1985. Justice Chandrachud will serve as the CJI for two years till November 10, 2024.
Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65. He succeeds Uday Umesh Lalit, who had recommended him as his successor to the Centre on October 11. President Draupadi Murmu had appointed him as the next CJI on October 17.
Earlier, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India (CJI) after President Droupadi Murmu signed his warrant of appointment. Uday Umesh Lalit became the second head of the Indian judiciary to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court bench from the Bar.
Who is Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud?
Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud succeeds Uday Umesh Lalit, who had recommended him as his successor to the Centre on October 11.
Justice Chandrachud, born on November 11, 1959, was elevated to the top court on May 13, 2016.
He has been part of several Constitution benches and landmark verdicts of the top court including on matters relating to the Ayodhya land dispute, the right to privacy and adultery.
Justice Chandrachud earlier served as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013. He was judge of the Bombay High Court from March 29, 2000 until his appointment as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
Justice Chandrachud was designated as a senior advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998 and became Additional Solicitor General in the same year till his appointment as a judge.
After completing BA with Honours in Economics from St Stephen's College, New Delhi, Justice Chandrachud did his LLB from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, and obtained LLM degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences (SJD) from Harvard Law School, USA. He practised law at the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court and was a visiting professor of comparative Constitutional law at the University of Mumbai.
Justice Chandrachud would have a tenure of two years as the CJI and is due to retire on November 10, 2024.
Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65. According to the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), which governs the process of appointment of judges in the higher judiciary, the outgoing CJI initiates the process of naming the successor after getting a communication from the Law ministry.
The MoP says the senior-most judge of the apex court is considered fit to hold the office of the CJI and the views of the outgoing head of the judiciary have to be sought "at an appropriate time".
The MoP, however, does not specify the time limit for the initiation of the process of recommending the name of the successor CJI.
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