Your youthful look makes us feel old: Chief Justice’s colleagues bid him farewell

Several colleagues of DY Chandrachud on Friday praised the outgoing Chief Justice of India (CJI) on his farewell and described him as a person who has limitless patience, maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, an advocate of technological advancements and for his cool composure while delivering sensitive judgments.
Speaking at CJI Chandrachud’s farewell event, Justice Hrishikesh Roy, who happens to be the outgoing Chief Justice’s classmate, praised him. “He (CJI Chandrachud) happens to be a classmate of mine. Four of us had joined together,” Justice Roy recalled, while referring to himself, Justices SK Kaul and Justices S Ravindra Bhat, all of whom had passed out from the Campus Law Centre in Delhi in 1982.
Justice PS Narasimha recalled memories of working with him, calling it an extraordinary experience. “I had the opportunity to appear before him as a lawyer and got to sit with him as a judge. It was extraordinary,” said Justice Narasimha. As Justice Roy and Justice Narasimha made these remarks, CJI Chandrachud became emotional and wiped his tears with his handkerchief before he grinned.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who will take over as the new CJI on November 11, mentioned CJI Chandrachud’s love for samosas and international judges’s praise for his charm and good looks, drawing laughter from the audience.
He said that the former follows a disciplined lifestyle, including waking up at 4 am, and being a vegan. He also said it would be difficult to fill his shoes.
“He has left my task easy as he has made so many advancements in technology and data. He has made my task difficult because it will difficult to match up with him,” he said.
“He is a vegan and gets up at 4 in the morning. He likes samosas, but he doesn’t eat anything during meetings. He has his hobbies like music, hiking, cricket etc. He can also write something to us,” he said.
Justice Khanna said that several farewell cards for CJI Chandrachud were kept in his chamber and sent by underprivileged children.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi expressed his gratitude to the outgoing CJI for listening to the arguments of counsels with patience and for teaching advocates how to use iPads during hearings.
“You exceed the statute of patience. You listened to us with exhaustion at 4 pm when the counsels crowded the court. You also taught us the using of iPad during hearings. At least I have learnt about using an iPad. Your youthful looks make us feel old. At least you should let out that secret to all of us,” he said in a light-hearted moment.
Attorney General R Venkatramani said CJI Chandrachud’s farewell would leave a vacuum in the courtroom. He lightened up the mood when he said that everyone should dance during their retirement and most would support him for his suggestion.
“Recently in Brazil, everyone started dancing after a conference. What if I ask everyone here to dance at your retirement, and I am sure most will vote in favour of me,” he said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta praised CJI Chandrachud, saying he had complete impartiality in the dispensation of justice and that his presence would be missed in the courtroom.
“He ensured complete impartiality in the dispensation of justice. We never felt hesitant. We were fully satisfied we were able to present a case. My lords have always taken a stand as the guardian of the judicial family, I am addressing mylords for the last time. May I take the liberty of saying – DY Chandrachud ji will really be missed,” he said.
“It’s a painful thing to express in words. My family is here except for my two sons who are in the profession. They would never know what it means to be Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. Why I say this is because they would know what their gain and what our loss is,” he added.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal too was all praise for CJI Chandrachud for reaching out to communities whose voices and their presence in the courtroom before.
“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,” Sibal said.
“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 added.
CJI Chandrachud began his tenure on November 8, 2022, succeeding Uday Umesh Lalit, who served as the 49th CJI from August 27, 2022 to November 8, 2022.