10 interesting facts about D Y Chandrachud, the new CJI of India

He was part of the bench that allowed a plea for the live streaming of Supreme Court proceedings

Justice D Y Chandrachud took over as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Nov. 9. He will be at the helm of the country's top court for a little over two years, an "unprecedented" development in this decade, giving him ample time to rule on some vexing issues that are brewing across the country.

Here are 10 interesting facts about Justice Chandrachud:

1. D Y Chandrachud is a son of former CJI Y V Chandrachud, who was in the position for a period of seven years between 1978 to 1985, the longest tenure till date.

2. With a BA with Honours in Economics degree from St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi, Justice Chandrachud completed his LLB from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University.

Also Read: Great expectations as Justice D Y Chandrachud set to take charge of Supreme Court

3. He went to Harvard Law School to obtain his LLM degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences.

4. Justice Chandrachud was chosen by the NDA government to serve as the additional solicitor general of India from 1998 to 2000.

5. On March 29, 2000, he was first appointed as a judge on the Bombay High Court. On May 13, 2016, he was appointed as a Supreme Court judge.

6. He has been part of several landmark judgements, including the right to privacy, the Ayodhya case, the Sabrimala case and the provisions for the decriminalisation of adultery. He came down strongly against the petitioners while dismissing a PIL seeking a probe into the death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, who at the time was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, which allegedly involved present Home Minister Amit Shah.

7. He was part of the three-judge bench that allowed a plea for the live streaming of proceedings in the Supreme Court.

8. He was a part of the bench that decriminalised Section 377 of the IPC.

9. Chandrachud is an early riser. He gets up at 3.30 am.

10. He is respected for his intellectual ability and is known to be cultured - lawyers seem to like to appear before him. He is a judge with a liberal outlook, a quality that shines in his judgements, particularly when it comes to issues concerning the rights of women and the marginalised.