The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud gave his last verdict on whether the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) can be considered a minority institution under Article 30 of the Constitution. “I won’t be able to deliver justice from tomorrow, but I am content,” he said. The CJI is set to demit office on Sunday, November 10.
“I thank all of you and each one of you and there is no case similar to an earlier case. If I ever hurt anyone in the court, I would like you to just please forgive me. Thank you for coming in such large numbers,” CJI noted during his farewell speech.
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CJI while bidding farewell said “We are here as pilgrims, birds for short passage of time, do our work and leave….but the work which we do can leave a mark in the institution. Of course, none of us is that important to feel that the Court will not survive without me. Great judges have come here in the past and passed on the baton to the succeeding generations…in that way, we sustain the institution, with different people with diverse viewpoints coming to the Court and passing the baton along” Reported Live Law.
He also expressed confidence in CJI-Designate Justice Sanjiv Khanna who would be succeeding him from November 11. “So I am sure that my leaving from here is not going to make the slightest difference to the Court, particularly because I know that the person after me is so stable, so solid- Justice Khanna, a person so dignified, so aware of the court, the historical perspectives.”
Chandrachud delivered his final remarks while leading a Ceremonial Bench held for his retirement. He also stated that he had tried to hear “as many matters as I could” before the Ceremonial Bench was listed.
“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.
On this emotional occasion, CJI Chandrachud thanked everyone who contributed to his journey all the senior advocates, officers, juniors, and the staff. He also acknowledged that they played a role in shaping his understanding of life and law.
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According to Reports, Senior advocate Kapil Sibal also praised CJI Chandrachud for reaching out to communities whose voices and their presence in the courtroom before.
Sibal said “In my 52 years at the Supreme Court, I have never seen a judge like you with limitless patience. You reached out to the communities of the country who had never heard or seen before. You brought them before this court and showed them what justice is whichever areas of law you have touched. You have left an unforgettable mark,”.
“Your father (former CJI YV Chandrachud) dealt with the court when it was tumultuous. You dealt with the court when the matters were tumultuous. You took the case head-on. There will be no other CJI like you,” he said further.
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