New Delhi:
On the ultimate day of his tenure because the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud delivered a message from the ceremonial bench and acknowledged the truth that he would now not function the nation’s prime decide.
“I will not be capable of ship justice from tomorrow, however I’m content material,” he mentioned.
Chief Justice Chandrachud, who assumed workplace on November 9, 2022, bid farewell to his place right this moment after his two-year time period ended. Recalling a lighthearted second along with his registrar judicial the earlier night, he shared, “When my registrar judicial requested me what time the ceremonial ought to start, I mentioned 2 pm, pondering it might permit us to wrap up lots of pending objects. However I puzzled to myself-will anybody really be right here at 2 pm on a Friday afternoon? Or will I simply be left taking a look at myself on the display?”
Reflecting on his profession, he described the position of judges as akin to pilgrims, coming to courtroom every day with a dedication to serve. “The work we do could make or break circumstances,” he mentioned. He paid tribute to the “nice judges who’ve adorned this courtroom and handed on the baton,” including that he felt reassured leaving the bench within the succesful palms of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, whom he praised as an ready chief.
“If I’ve ever damage anybody within the courtroom, please forgive me for that,” he mentioned, quoting the Jain phrase “Michhami Dukkadam,” which interprets to “Might all my misdeeds be forgiven.”
Legal professionals and members of the bar gathered to honour the outgoing Chief Justice, describing him as “a rock star” of the judiciary.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who has been nominated as his successor and shall be sworn in because the 51st Chief Justice of India on November 11, mentioned, “I by no means had the possibility to look in Justice Chandrachud’s courtroom, however what he has achieved for the marginalised and the needy is past evaluate.”
He added a private anecdote about Justice Chandrachud’s fondness for samosas, remarking that they had been served in practically each assembly, although the Chief Justice himself shunned consuming them.
Justice Chandrachud’s tenure noticed many adjustments throughout the courtroom, from the institution of Mitti Cafe, a facility empowering people with disabilities, to a devoted bar room for girls legal professionals, alongside different beautification initiatives for the Supreme Courtroom premises.
In his two-year time period, Justice Chandrachud authored a collection of landmark judgments. Notably, he presided over the Structure Bench upholding the revocation of Article 370, which redefined the politics of Jammu and Kashmir, ordering that elections be carried out by September 2024 and stressing the necessity to restore statehood “on the earliest and as quickly as doable.”
In one other important judgement, Justice Chandrachud declined to change the Particular Marriage Act to recognise same-sex marriages, deferring to the legislature. Nonetheless, he insisted on the appropriate of the LGBTQ+ group to be handled with dignity, free from discrimination.
Justice Chandrachud additionally led the choice to dismantle the controversial electoral bonds scheme, mandating higher transparency in political financing and ordering the State Financial institution of India to stop issuing electoral bonds.