No greater feeling than serving those in need, says outgoing CJI D Y Chandrachud

Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud reflects on his fulfilling career, legacy, and service to the Indian judiciary.

There was no greater feeling than being able to serve those in need and people he never knew or met, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said on his last working day as the 50th head of the Indian judiciary on Friday (November 8, 2024).

Heading a four-judge ceremonial bench, also comprising CJI-designate Sanjiv Khanna, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, which assembled to bid him farewell, the CJI expressed a deep sense of fulfilment, not only for the work accomplished but for the opportunity to serve the country.

Justice Chandrachud stepped into the shoes of his illustrious father Y V Chandrachud, who served as the longest CJI between 1978 and 1985, on November 9, 2022 and will be demitting office on November 10, a Sunday.

Rich tributes were paid to him by CJI-designate Khanna and bar leaders, including the attorney general, the solicitor general, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Kapil Sibal and others to mark the pivotal moment in India's judicial history.

"You asked me what keeps me going. It is this court which has kept me going, because there is not a single day when you feel that you have not learned something, that you have not had an opportunity to serve the society.

"And there is no greater feeling than being able to serve those in need and the people you would never meet, people you possibly do not even know, people whose lives you have the ability to affect without ever having seen them," a visibly emotional CJI said.

In his address, CJI Chandrachud recounted his journey, from sitting in the last row of the court as a young law student to his time on the revered corridors of the top court.