Justice D.Y. Chandrachud to Become 50th Chief Justice of India, CJI Lalit Recommends

Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud began his judicial career as a judge of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000, and was appointed as Supreme Court of India Judge in May 2016.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Uday Umesh Lalit on Tuesday named Justice D.Y. Chandrachud as his successor.

Chandrachud will be India's 50th chief justice, and will take his oath in November.

On Tuesday morning, the current CJI handed over a letter of recommendation to 62-year-old Chandrachud in the presence of other justices.

Chief Justice Lalit will retire on November 8 at the end of his 74-day tenure.

The decision is per custom that the outgoing CJI appoint a senior Supreme Court judge as his successor. Now, the federal Law Ministry has to approve the appointment.

Once the Law Ministry accepts the CJI recommendation, Justice Chandrachud will remain in office for two years until November 10, 2024 as the 50th chief justice, set to make him one of the longest-serving CJIs in recent years.

Last month, a bench headed by Justice Chandrachud gave unmarried women the right to have abortions up to 24 weeks.

He is one of the judges of a five-judge bench that was hearing the case related to the Ram temple land dispute.

Justice Chandrachud was part of the bench that decriminalized homosexuality in 2018.

Chandrachud's father, Justice Y.V. Chandrachud, was the 16th CJI, serving from 1978 to 1985.