New Delhi (17.10.2022): President of India Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice (Dr) Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice DY Chandrachud will take oath of the office on November 9, 2022 a day after incumbent Chief Justice Justice Uday Umesh Lalit demits office on attaining the age of 65.

Justice Chandrachud, presently the senior-most Supreme Court judge after Justice Lalit, was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016, will serve as the CJI for two years. He will demit office on November 10, 2024.

Justice Chandrachud served as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013 before his appointment to the Apex Court. He also served as a Judge of the Bombay High Court from March 2000 to October 2013.

Justice Chandrachud sees dissent as the ‘safety valve’ of democracy, who is also known for his profound judgments and his dissenting opinions have not only pricked the conscience of the powerful people around the country but, in certain cases, even overshadowed the main judgment. His notable Supreme Court judgments include recognising the right to privacy as a fundamental right, decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and allowing women to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple to note a few.