With folded hands and teary eyes, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, on  his last working day as the 50th head of the Indian judiciary on Friday, sought forgiveness if he had hurt anyone. “If I ever hurt anyone of you, I would like to just say please forgive me for something which I didn’t intend to ever say or do which may have hurt you,” he said.

Heading a four-judge ceremonial Bench, also comprising CJI-designate Sanjiv Khanna, Justices JB 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 YV 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.

Later in the evening, speaking at the farewell function organised for him by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the outgoing CJI said that he might perhaps be the most trolled judge but that does not deter him and he respects his opponents. “I hope you know the amount of trolling I have received. I am probably the most trolled judge across the system. I will only say a shayari - Mukhalif se meri shaksiyat sanwarti hai.. Mein dushmano ka bada ehtiram karta hu [Opposition makes my personality better, I respect my enemies very much],” he said, adding that the trolls will be unemployed from Monday next week.

Rich tributes were paid to him by CJI-designate Khanna and Bar leaders, including the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, 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 SC.

He reflected on the immense privilege of serving the country, emphasising that each day spent in the court was an opportunity to learn and grow in both legal knowledge and personal insight. “I was always aware of the overpowering presence of the greats of this court and the responsibility that came with sitting in this chair. But at the end of the day, it is not about the individual, it is about the institution and the cause of justice we uphold here,” the CJI said.

He spoke with admiration for his colleagues, particularly highlighting his time on the bench with Justices Pardiwala and Misra, noting the camaraderie and diversity of perspectives that enriched their collective work. The CJI also expressed his confidence in the future of the court, reassuring the legal community that his successor, Justice Khanna, whom he described as “dignified, stable and deeply committed to justice”, would lead the court with equal dedication and vision.

In a heartfelt conclusion, CJI Chandrachud expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to his journey, senior advocates, juniors, officers and staff, acknowledging that each one of them played a role in shaping his understanding of the law and life.

Justice Khanna wished good luck to the CJI, saying, “He has made my task easy and tough. Easy because of the revolutions ushered in and tough because I cannot walk up to him. He will be sorely missed. His youthfulness is not known here only but also abroad. In Australia, there were so many who came to me and asked what his age was.” 

Born on November 11, 1959, Justice Chandrachud has had a distinguished career in the judiciary. His passion for cricket dates back to his childhood, when he reportedly played the sport in the backyard of his father’s residence in Lutyens’ Delhi. He was designated as a senior advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998 and served as the additional solicitor general, before being appointed a judge of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000. He later became the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court on October 31, 2013. Justice Chandrachud holds a BA degree in Economics from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College, an LLB from the Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre and an LLM and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences (SJD) from the Harvard Law School.