CJI Chandrachud will retire on 10 November 2024, but before that, 8 November was his last working day in the Supreme Court. A ceremonial bench sat to bid farewell to CJI Chandrachud. At the same time, a farewell ceremony was held in the evening. In this ceremony, the CJI said that I want to thank the Supreme Court Bar Association from the bottom of my heart. My mother told me in my childhood that I have named you Dhananjay. But the ‘wealth’ of your ‘Dhananjay’ is not material wealth. I want you to acquire knowledge… The CJI also narrated an anecdote related to his father. He said that my father bought a small flat in Pune. I asked him, why are you buying a flat in Pune? When will we go to live there? He said, I know I am never going to live there. I don’t know how long I will stay with you, but keep this flat till you complete your service as a Justice. I asked, why so? So he said if you ever feel like your morals or your intellectual integrity is being compromised, I want you to know that you have a roof over your head. My father said that while being a lawyer or a judge, never compromise your principles thinking that you do not have your own house
CJI heard 45 cases on the last working day
On the last working day of Justice DY Chandrachud, the proceedings of the ceremonial bench were live streamed. Justice Manoj Mishra, Justice JB Pardiwala, senior lawyers, and Justice Sanjeev Khanna, who will take over as CJI from November 10, were also present in this bench. Justice Khanna will be the 51st CJI of the country. Justice Chandrachud was promoted to the Supreme Court from Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court as a sitting judge on 13 May 2016. During his tenure, CJI Chandrachud was a part of 1274 benches. He wrote a total of 612 judgments. Among the current judges of the Supreme Court, CJI Chandrachud has written the most judgments. On the last day also, he heard 45 cases. The major judgments of CJI Chandrachud’s 2-year tenure include Article 370, Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Forest These include decisions like Rank-One Pension, Madrasa Case, Sabarimala Temple Dispute, Validity of Electoral Bonds and CAA-NRC. 3 important points of CJI’s speech… 1. There is no greater pleasure than serving the needy
After the proceedings of the ceremonial bench were completed, the CJI became emotional. He said that you asked me where I get inspiration from. I get this inspiration from this court, because there is not a single day when you do not feel that you have learned something new or have not got an opportunity to serve the society. The CJI said that there is no greater pleasure than serving those needy, whom you will never meet. Whom you may not even know, whose lives you can influence even without meeting them. 2. Those who troll me will become unemployed
At the farewell ceremony, the CJI said that I know that I have made my life public in many cases. When you do this, you cannot avoid criticism. Especially in today’s era of social media. My shoulders are so broad that I can accept all criticism. However, the funny thing is that I am wondering what will happen from Monday. Those who troll me will become unemployed. 3. I tried to reduce pending cases in the Supreme Court
The CJI said that when I took over as the Chief Justice, I came to know that 1500 files were kept in the Registrar’s cupboard. I decided that this has to be changed. Between 9 November 2022 and 1 November 2024, 1.11 lakh cases were registered. Out of this, 5.33 lakh cases were listed and 1.07 lakh cases were disposed of. On January 1, 2020, 79,500 cases were pending in the Supreme Court. These also include those cases which we call unregistered or defective cases. On January 1, this figure increased to 93 thousand. On January 1, 2024, this number has come down to 82 thousand. These 82 thousand cases include both registered and unregistered cases. In two years, this figure has come down to less than 11 thousand. Lawyers’ comments on CJI’s tenure… Attorney General AR Venkataramani: You have been completely impartial in delivering justice. We never felt hesitant in front of you. We were always confident that we have put our case before you completely. As the head of this judicial family, you have always taken a stand. You will be known for 5 Cs – Calm, Cool, Composed, neither critical nor condemning. Supreme Court Bar Association President Kapil Sibal: In my 52 years of tenure in the Supreme Court, I have never seen a judge with such patience. You reached out to such communities of the country, which were not seen or heard of before. You brought them to the court and told them what justice is. Your father was the CJI when the courts used to be restless and agitated. You came here when the issues are restless. Abhishek Manu Singhvi: You taught us how to use iPad during the hearing, at least I learned about it. Your young look makes us feel old. At least tell us the secret behind it. Senior lawyer: The secret behind your young look is yoga. Justice Sanjeev Khanna said- He has made my job both easy and difficult. Easy because many revolutions have taken place, and difficult because I cannot match him, I will always miss him. His young look is discussed not only here but also abroad. Many people came to me in Australia and asked what his age is. Tenure of CJI DY Chandrachud, 6 points 1. The only father-son duo to become CJI Justice Chandrachud’s father Yashwant Vishnu Chandrachud was the 16th CJI of the country. His tenure was from 22 February 1978 to 11 July 1985, i.e. for about 7 years. He held the same post 37 years after his father’s retirement. Justice Chandrachud was the first to pass 2 major decisions of his father in SC 2. Supreme Court became the most hi-tech
During the tenure of CJI Chandrachud, the court became more hi-tech. These included improvements in e-filing, paperless submissions, WhatsApp updates for pending cases, digital screens, Wi-Fi connectivity, advanced video conferencing, live tracking of pending cases, live streaming from all courtrooms. 4. The logo and the form of the Goddess of Justice changed
The ‘Lady of Justice’ in the Supreme Court library was ordered by CJI DY Chandrachud. Its purpose is to give the message that the law in the country is not blind and it is not a symbol of punishment. Apart from this, the flag and symbol of the Supreme Court were also released at the valedictory event of the National Conference of District Judiciary on September 1. 5. Holiday calendar changed The term partial court working day will be used in place of summer vacation in the Supreme Court. According to the new calendar, this year this period will be from 26 May 2025 to 14 July 2025. Under the new rules, the vacation judge will be called a judge There will be no holidays for more than 95 days except Sundays. Earlier this number was 103. 6. Chairs for judges to sit were changed
During an event in Britain, a person asked why the chairs of the bench of judges in the Supreme Court are not the same. That is, why is the height of their backrest different? When the CJI returned to India, he first told the registry officer who looks after the maintenance of the Supreme Court about this and gave instructions to change it. Famous pictures of CJI Chandrachud… Chandrachud’s family was powerful during the rule of Peshwa. In Khed village in Kanhersar, Maharashtra, there is an ancestral palace of the ancestors of Chief Justice Chandrachud. Its name is Chandrachud Wada. It is spread over three and a half acres. Chandrachud’s ancestors were very powerful during the Peshwa rule. They were his courtiers. They had power in Bhima Koregaon. Recently, the CJI also went to his village to attend a program. Justice Sanjeev Khanna will be the 51st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Sanjeev Khanna Supreme He will be the 51st Chief Justice of the court. CJI DY Chandrachud had recommended his name to the government. However, his tenure will be only 6 months. 64-year-old Justice Khanna will retire on May 13, 2025. As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Khanna has written 65 decisions. During this time he has been a part of about 275 benches. Before being made a Supreme Court judge, he was a judge in the Delhi High Court for 14 years. He was promoted to the Supreme Court in 2019. —————————————– Also read this news related to CJI Chandrachud… CJI’s question-answer with AI lawyer, asked – Is the death penalty constitutional in India, the lawyer said – Yes CJI Chandrachud questioned a lawyer created with Artificial Intelligence (AI). The AI lawyer answered this with the same expression as real lawyers give in court. During the inauguration of the National Judicial Museum and Archive in the Supreme Court, the CJI asked the AI lawyer – Is the death penalty constitutional in India? In response to this The AI lawyer said – yes, but only in heinous crimes. Hearing such a precise answer from the AI lawyer, CJI Chandrachud looked at the other judges present there and smiled. A video of the question-answer between the CJI and the AI lawyer also surfaced. Read the full news…
