Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud bid an emotional farewell on the last working day on Friday as his colleagues recalled fond memories while working with him. On the last day in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud leaves behind a legacy of important decisions on privacy, federalism, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.
CJI DY Chandrachud Bids Adieu A Look At Landmark Verdicts
Why In News
- Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud bid an emotional farewell on the last working day on Friday as his colleagues recalled fond memories while working with him.
- On the last day in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud leaves behind a legacy of important decisions on privacy, federalism, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. While addressing his farewell function, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, “Thank you so much for such a great honour…I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the Supreme Court Bar Association for organising this event…My mother told me when I was growing up that I have named you Dhananjay. But the ‘dhan’ in your ‘Dhananjay’ is not material wealth. I want you to acquire knowledge…”
- CJI Chandrachud assumed office as the Chief Justice on November 11, 2022, after being elevated to the Supreme Court in 2016.
- According to the Supreme Court Observer, he has been a part of 1,275 benches. He recorded 613 judgments, including landmark decisions that shaped Indian jurisprudence and influenced public life.
Verdict On Right To Privacy
- A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled in August 2017 that the Right to Privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. CJI Chandrachud authored the judgment, highlighting that privacy is intrinsic to freedom and dignity. This decision has since influenced other judgments related to data protection, Aadhaar, and personal liberty.
- It all began in 2012 when retired justice KS Puttaswamy challenged the constitutional validity of the Aadhar Act. The Aadhar Act legitimised India’s Unique Identity Number programme.
Verdict On Homosexuality
- On September 6, 2018, a unanimous five-judge Supreme Court bench partially struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a 158-year-old law that criminalised same-sex relations between consenting adults.
- The Court ruled that the section’s provisions regarding homosexuality would remain in effect. In a detailed concurring opinion, CJI Chandrachud highlighted the harm Section 377 had caused by marginalising an entire class of citizens. Citing his prior judgment in the Puttaswamy case, which affirmed the right to privacy, he argued that denying the right to sexual orientation was also a denial of privacy.
- He stressed that human sexuality should not be “reduced to a binary” or narrowly defined as merely a means of procreation.
Strikes Down Electoral Bond Scheme
- Case: Association for Democratic Reform v. Union of India
- In a major ruling ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, a five-judge bench led by CJI Chandrachud unanimously struck down the 2018 Electoral Bond Scheme.
- The bench cited the scheme as a violation of voters’ right to information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. In the judgment, the court stated that “information about funding a political party is essential for a voter to exercise their freedom to vote effectively.”
- The decision implied that the scheme was not “fool-proof” and contained gaps allowing political parties to identify contributors. The court also ordered an immediate halt to all sales of electoral bonds and directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to publish data on the transactions of bonds.
Verdict On Ayodhya Dispute
- In the most significant judgment, a five-judge bench headed by CJI Chandrachud awarded the disputed Ayodhya land to build the Ram temple and the Uttar Pradesh government was directed to provide an alternative site in Ayodhya for the construction of the mosque.
- The judgment came in November 2019 and settled the fractious issue going back more than a century.
- The Supreme Court sets aside a 2010 decision of the Allahabad High Court which in its judgment had divided the disputed land and gave it to the temple and mosque trusts for the construction of these structures.
- CJI Chandrachud earlier said that he had prayed to God for a solution to the Ayodhya dispute, remarks that sparked a row in the political spectrum.
Abortion Rights For Unmarried Women
- In a crucial ruling, CJI Chandrachud expanded the rights of unmarried women by allowing them access to abortion under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act up to 24 weeks, on par with married women.
- The judgment stressed the reproductive autonomy of women, affirming that a woman’s marital status should not impact her rights over her body and her choices related to pregnancy.
Other Cases
- Case: Between NCT Government of Delhi and Union of India
- Justice Chandrachud led rulings in 2018 and 2023 to affirm the authority of the Delhi government and strengthen the principle of federalism in governance.
- SC/ST Sub-classification allowed
- Case: State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh
- In a landmark judgment in 2024, the court allowed states to make sub-divisions under SC/ST to address “backwardness within backwardness,” subject to empirical evidence.
- Chief Justice Chandrachud’s judgments have ‘strengthened’ constitutional principles, ‘increased rights and increased accountability’ in Indian public institutions.
- Property Owners Association and ors v State of Maharashtra and Ors
- In this case, a 9-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled that not all private property can be deemed “material resource of the community” for redistribution in Article 39(b) of the Constitution.
