Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, who was part of the Supreme Court benches that delivered several landmark verdicts including the Ayodhya land dispute case, was sworn in as the 50th Chief Justice of India on November 9. President Droupadi Murmu administered him the oath at a brief ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. He took the oath in English and in the name of God.
Justice Chandrachud took over as the CJI from Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, who demitted office on November 8, and will head India’s judiciary until November 10, 2024, a day before he completes 65 years.
Those present at the ceremony included Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Kiren Rijiju. His predecessor CJI Lalit was also present. On October 11, he had recommended to the Centre Justice Chandrachud’s name as his successor.
On October 17, Justice Chandrachud was named the 50th CJI. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016. He is the son of the longest-serving CJI Y.V. Chandrachud, who headed the Judiciary from February 22, 1978, to July 11, 1985.
Immediately after the swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the 50th CJI reached the Supreme Court premises and paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. “Serving common people is my priority. Please look forward, I will work for all the citizens of the country. Be it in technology or be it in registry…or be it in judicial reforms, I will take care of citizens in every aspect,” he said.