The senior-most Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud was sworn in as India's 50th Chief Justice. He was sworn in by President Draupadi Murmu during a brief ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, outgoing CJI UU Lalit, sitting and former judges of the Supreme Court, union ministers, senior lawyers and various other dignitaries from the field of law and politics.
Justice Chandrachud succeeds Justice UU Lalit who retired on November 8 after a 74-day stint. Justice Lalit had suggested Justice Chandrachud's name as his successor last month.
Born on November 11, 1959, he was appointed as a Supreme Court judge on May 13, 2016,. Justice Chandrachud will have a two-year tenure as the CJI. His father Justice YV Chandrachud was the 16th CJI from 1978-85.
Justice Chandrachud, who is regarded as a liberal and progressive jurist, has participated in a number of important Supreme Court rulings, including those concerning the Ayodhya land dispute, the right to privacy, adultery, and abortion. He earlier served as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013 and judge of the Bombay High Court from March 29, 2000 until his appointment as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
Justice Chandrachud was designated as a senior advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998 and became an Additional Solicitor General the same year till his appointment as a judge. He practised law at the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court and was a visiting Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law at Mumbai University.
