Ex-CJI debates perceptions of judiciary, calls for reforms

CHANDRACHUD OPINED ON THE COURT'S FEBRUARY 2024 ELECTORAL BONDS VERDICT AND ITS ROLE IN ADDRESSING THE TWIN CHALLENGES OF "MONEY" AND “MUSCLE” IN INDIAN POLITICS

- HT Correspondent

Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud served as the 50th Chief Justice of India.

After stepping down from the bench, he has put together a new compilation of speeches titled, Why the Constitution Matters, published by Vintage — an imprint of Penguin Random House India. In the book, the former CJI reflects on his quarter-century of experience as a judge, illustrating how the Constitution impacts everyday life and why it remains a cornerstone of democracy.

To discuss some of the themes from his recent book, Justice Chandrachud was the featured guest on last week's episode of Grand Tamasha, a weekly podcast on Indian politics and policy co-produced by HT and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. An alumnus of Harvard Law School, Chandra-chud served as the Additional Solicitor General of India. He was appointed as a judge of the Bombay high court in 2000 and became the chief justice of the Allahabad high court in 2013. In 2016, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India, where he served as chief justice from November 2022 to November 2024.