The 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016; his late father remains India’s longest-serving CJI.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud shed tears on his last working day as a judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Sitting in a customary ceremonial bench with CJI-designate Sanjiv Khanna and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, the Chandrachud J left the Supreme Court with an earnest message.
“If I ever hurt anyone of you, I would like to just say please forgive me for something which I didn’t intend to ever say or do which may have hurt you,” he said.
The ceremonial bench witnessed a series of tributes. Attorney General R Venkataramani, in his address, humorously recalled a recent conference in Brazil where attendees danced after the event.
“What if I ask everyone here to dance on your retirement? I am sure most will vote in favour of me!” he said
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta followed with praise for CJI Chandrachud’s commitment to impartiality, noting that even though the government “won few, lost many” cases before him, they never doubted that justice was being served.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal described Chandrachud as “an extraordinary son of an extraordinary father,” referring to the CJI’s father, former Chief Justice of India YV Chandrachud. He said that CJI Chandrachud’s conduct had demonstrated to communities across India what dignity truly means.
“Your father dealt with the Court when the Court was tumultuous and you dealt when matters were tumultuous. There will be none like you who shall adorn that chair ever again,” he further added.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi praised CJI Chandrachud for ushering in technological advancements, from promoting the use of iPads to modernising court infrastructure. He expressed admiration for the CJI’s ability to “exceed the statute of patience,” noting that he often went beyond the usual hours to hear cases.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) N Venkataraman highlighted CJI Chandrachud’s temperament, summing it up with five Cs: calm, cool, composed, neither critical nor condemning. He emphasised that the CJI was a “record breaker” who never let success go to his head.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Shakdher, who retired as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court last month, praised CJI Chandrachud’s work ethic.
“I think you have utilised all the time you had. You turned 24 hours day into 48 hours one. Little do people understand that there are trials and tribulations for a judge and you do not get what you always want. I wish you all the very best always and forever,” he said.
Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi noted how CJI Chandrachud championed “underdog litigants” and fought for women’s rights in the armed forces.
Senior Advocate KK Venugopal recalled how CJI Chandrachud’s father once asked whether his son should continue at the bar or take up judgeship. Venugopal advised against it, yet he added, “But you took up judgeship and thank God. If you had listened to me then we would have lost such a judge.”
CJI Designate Justice Sanjiv Khanna reflected on the task of filling CJI Chandrachud’s shoes.