Bar, bench bid adieu to CJI Chandrachud at special events

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud has said that trying to make a difference in the lives of the common man was what made him tick as a judge for the past 24 years. Friday was his last day in court as he will demit office on Sunday after a twoyear tenure at the helm of the Indian judiciary.

- Abraham Thomas

Known for his judgments ranging from declaring privacy a fundamental right to decriminalising homosexuality to the Ayodhya title dispute case to scrapping electoral bonds to granting permanent commission to women officers in defence forces to upholding the scrapping of Article 370, justice Chandrachud, who leaves a rich legacy of judicial verdicts, said that he was also one of the "most trolled" judges on social media.

The CJI was embroiled in a controversy recently for saying that he consulted God before deciding the Ayodhya case, and for conducting a Ganesh Puja at his house with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant. When you expose your personal life, you get exposed to criticism. But our shoulders are broad enough to take this criticism," the CJi said, before light-heartedly adding: "What will happen from Monday? All who trolled me will be rendered unemployed."

Justice Chandrachud was speaking at a farewell function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) which was presided over by the CJI-designate justice Sanjiv Khanna, who takes oath as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday.