LEAVES LEGACY OF LANDMARK RULINGS, JUDICIAL REFORMS

Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, the 50th Chief Justice of India, had his final day at the Supreme Court on Friday. However, he formally retires for the services on Sunday. Known for his significant contributions to the judiciary and his strong opinions, Chandrachud delivered several landmark judgments during his tenure, including those on the Ayodhya land dispute, Article 370, and decriminalising homosexuality.

Chandrachud, always outspoken, wrote over 500 judgments, some of which faced criticism while others were widely praised. His legacy also includes a physical representation of justice— a new statue of ‘Lady Justice,’ which replaced the old Greek attire version with a six-foot-tall figure holding the Constitution in one hand and a scale in the other. The new statue also features a crown and no blindfold, symbolising transparency and the rule of law.

A day before his final working day, the Supreme Court renamed its summer vacation as a “Partial Court Working Day,” a move that sparked criticism about the long vacations taken by judges. His father, Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, also served as Chief Justice of India (1978–1985), making them the only father-son duo to have held the highest judicial position in the country.

LONG LIST OF LANDMARK JUDGMENTS DURING TENURE

Educated from Delhi’s St. Stephen’s College and the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University, and later earning an LLM and Doctorate from Harvard Law School, Justice DY Chandrachud was appointed Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022. The list of judgments he authored is extensive and covers virtually every aspect of law. His rulings have expanded the scope of fundamental rights, recognized privacy as a fundamental right, and upheld the validity of the electoral bond scheme, among others.

Chandrachud was part of several constitutional benches, including the one that recognised the “Living Will” for passive euthanasia, allowing patients suffering from terminal illnesses to decide their medical treatment in advance. He was also a key figure in the historic 2019 judgment on the Ayodhya land dispute, which settled a century-old issue and paved the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple.

In his final days as Chief Justice, he made headlines again with a public statement about praying to the divine for the resolution of polarisation issues, which led to criticism from various political figures and activists. He had also previously drawn attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a Ganesh Puja at his residence which CJI later played down saying, “please trust judges, deals not cut with government like this”. Moreover, he was part of the bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Additionally, Chandrachud was part of the bench that decriminalized homosexual relations by partially striking down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He was also a key member of the nine-judge bench that declared the right to privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

TRAILBLAZER IN ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

Justice Chandrachud played a pioneering role in administrative reforms, including digitising court records. He also expanded the scope of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act to include unmarried women and even transgender persons for abortion up to 24 weeks. In May 2023, under his leadership, a bench ruled that the Delhi government has control over all services in the national capital, a decision that resolved a long-standing tussle between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor.

Chandrachud was also known for his sharp comments and interventions in public debates. In 2018, he ordered the webcasting of court proceedings and the live streaming of important cases, stating that “sunlight is the best disinfectant.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, he ensured the live streaming of all court proceedings across the country. He was also the first to refer to the second wave of COVID-19 as a “national crisis.” Not to forget his strict monitoring of administration of free COVID-19 vaccines.

His judicial philosophy was summed up in his frequent statements, such as “Bail is the rule, jail is the exception,” which he reiterated during his tenure, granting bail to several high-profile individuals.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Mohd Fahad The author is Editor (National Desk) at First India