Justice DY Chandrachud Designated As The Next Chief Justice Of India

New Delhi: Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, has been recommended by the current Chief Justice of India (CJI) Uday Umesh Lalit as the next Chief Justice of India in a letter to the Union Government, on Tuesday.

CJI Lalit handed Justice Chandrachud the letter designating him the successor CJI, today. All Supreme Court justices were asked to gather in the Judges’ Lounge so that CJI Lalit may name the new CJI.

It is pertinent to mention here that, CJI Lalit will retire on November 8. The Chief Justice of India was recently asked to designate the replacement in a letter from the Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju.

Justice Chandrachud will serve as the 50^th Chief Justice of India, until November 10, 2024, one of the longest periods for a CJI in recent memory, if the Center approves CJI Lalit’s proposal.

Remarkably, the five-judge panel that rendered a decision in the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid dispute had Justice Chandrachud as a member.

Justice Chandrachud is renowned for his liberal and progressive rulings, the most recent of which upheld unmarried women’s right to an abortion up to 24 weeks in gestation. He was a member of the Constitution Benches that oversaw the decriminalisation of consenting homosexuality and the recognition of the right to privacy under Article 21. He was also a member of the bench that supported women of all ages having the freedom to join the Sabarimala shrine.