As Chief Justice DY Chandrachud concludes his two-year tenure on November 10, 2024, and Friday marks his last working day, his legacy stands out for his contributions to modernizing the judiciary.
His term saw the integration of virtual hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic, a change that has become a permanent and vital part of court operations.
Son of former CJI Y.V. Chandrachud, the longest-serving Chief Justice, DY Chandrachud’s tenure is marked by delivering some landmark judgments including penning the Ayodhya Temple verdict, striking down of the electoral bons and abrogation of Article 370.
Justice Chandrachud, a graduate of the Harvard Law School and Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre, has long served as a prominent legal figure, previously holding the position of Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court and Additional Solicitor General of India.
Historic Judgments by Outgoing Chief Justice of India Chandrachud
Throughout his tenure, Justice Chandrachud contributed to landmark rulings that reshaped India’s legal fabric.
Notable cases include the Ayodhya title dispute and the decriminalization of homosexuality under Section 377, which marked a progressive step towards LGBTQ+ rights.
Ayodhya verdict
Justice Chandrachud is believed to have played a central role in the landmark 2019 Ayodhya verdict, though the 1,045-page ruling wasn’t attributed to any one judge.
This decision addressed the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute dating back centuries and has held deep significance for Hindu identity, especially since the late 1980s.
The five-judge Supreme Court bench, led by former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, in November 2019, directed that a Ram temple be built on the contested site, and allotted a separate five-acre plot for a mosque.
Partially striking down of Article 377
On September 6, 2018, a five-judge bench of the Indian Supreme Court unanimously ruled to partially strike down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. This decision decriminalizes consensual same-sex relations between adults.
The court clarified that the portion of Section 377 relating to bestiality remains in effect.
Justice Chandrachud, in his concurring opinion, highlighted the impact of Section 377 by stating that it "reduced a class of citizens to the margins." He stressed the connection between sexual orientation and the right to privacy, previously recognized in the Puttaswamy judgement, which further solidified personal freedoms in India..
Justice Chandrachud further said that "human sexuality could not be ‘reduced to a binary formulation’ nor could it be ‘defined narrowly in terms of its function as a means to procreation.’”
Abrogation of Article 370
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by CJI DY Chandrachud, in December 2023, had unanimously upheld the Centre's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 bestowing special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ending a decades long debate, the Constitution bench delivered three concurring judgements upholding abrogation of the Constitutional schemes that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir when it was annexed to the Union of India in 1947.
State of J&K does not retain any element of sovereignty. It does not have internal sovereignty. Article 370 a feature of asymmetric federalism and not sovereignty, the Chandrachud-led bench said in their verdict authored by the CJI.
Electoral Bonds case
'Unconstitutional' electoral bonds cannot miss when discussing CJI Chandrachud's illustrous legacy.
The Supreme Court’s five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Chandrachud ruled that the Electoral Bond Scheme violates citizens’ Right to Information and Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which upholds freedom of speech and expression.
The court noted that anonymous political donations obstruct voters’ access to essential information, impacting democratic transparency. Additionally, the judgment found that the scheme enabled quid pro quo dynamics between companies and political entities. Amendments to laws such as the Representation of People Act and Companies Act that allowed the scheme were also struck down.
Other major decisions
Justice Chandrachud’s bench decisions also paved the way for women’s permanent commission in the Army and Navy, the right to abortion access under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, and upheld the rights for passive euthanasia.
His term saw the integration of virtual hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic, a change that has become a permanent and vital part of court operations.
Son of former CJI Y.V. Chandrachud, the longest-serving Chief Justice, DY Chandrachud’s tenure is marked by delivering some landmark judgments including penning the Ayodhya Temple verdict, striking down of the electoral bons and abrogation of Article 370.
Justice Chandrachud, a graduate of the Harvard Law School and Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre, has long served as a prominent legal figure, previously holding the position of Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court and Additional Solicitor General of India.
Historic Judgments by Outgoing Chief Justice of India Chandrachud
Throughout his tenure, Justice Chandrachud contributed to landmark rulings that reshaped India’s legal fabric.
Notable cases include the Ayodhya title dispute and the decriminalization of homosexuality under Section 377, which marked a progressive step towards LGBTQ+ rights.
Ayodhya verdict
Justice Chandrachud is believed to have played a central role in the landmark 2019 Ayodhya verdict, though the 1,045-page ruling wasn’t attributed to any one judge.
This decision addressed the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute dating back centuries and has held deep significance for Hindu identity, especially since the late 1980s.
The five-judge Supreme Court bench, led by former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, in November 2019, directed that a Ram temple be built on the contested site, and allotted a separate five-acre plot for a mosque.
Partially striking down of Article 377
On September 6, 2018, a five-judge bench of the Indian Supreme Court unanimously ruled to partially strike down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. This decision decriminalizes consensual same-sex relations between adults.
The court clarified that the portion of Section 377 relating to bestiality remains in effect.
Justice Chandrachud, in his concurring opinion, highlighted the impact of Section 377 by stating that it "reduced a class of citizens to the margins." He stressed the connection between sexual orientation and the right to privacy, previously recognized in the Puttaswamy judgement, which further solidified personal freedoms in India..
Justice Chandrachud further said that "human sexuality could not be ‘reduced to a binary formulation’ nor could it be ‘defined narrowly in terms of its function as a means to procreation.’”
Abrogation of Article 370
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by CJI DY Chandrachud, in December 2023, had unanimously upheld the Centre's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 bestowing special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ending a decades long debate, the Constitution bench delivered three concurring judgements upholding abrogation of the Constitutional schemes that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir when it was annexed to the Union of India in 1947.
State of J&K does not retain any element of sovereignty. It does not have internal sovereignty. Article 370 a feature of asymmetric federalism and not sovereignty, the Chandrachud-led bench said in their verdict authored by the CJI.
Electoral Bonds case
'Unconstitutional' electoral bonds cannot miss when discussing CJI Chandrachud's illustrous legacy.
The Supreme Court’s five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Chandrachud ruled that the Electoral Bond Scheme violates citizens’ Right to Information and Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which upholds freedom of speech and expression.
The court noted that anonymous political donations obstruct voters’ access to essential information, impacting democratic transparency. Additionally, the judgment found that the scheme enabled quid pro quo dynamics between companies and political entities. Amendments to laws such as the Representation of People Act and Companies Act that allowed the scheme were also struck down.
Other major decisions
Justice Chandrachud’s bench decisions also paved the way for women’s permanent commission in the Army and Navy, the right to abortion access under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, and upheld the rights for passive euthanasia.
You may also like
'They didn't like her': Bill Maher on Harris' loss in election
BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Tess Daly hits back at judge Craig Revel Horwood's Tasha jibe
Sharjah: Bangladesh beat Afghanistan to level ODI series
The seaside city of 3m that's one of Africa's largest but way too dangerous for tourists
Coordination gap between two pointsmen caused one's death in Bihar, says rail probe
