Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, the second senior judge on the Supreme Court, has been recommended as the next Chief Justice of India in a letter from Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit to the Union Government.

Today at 10:15 a.m., CJI Lalit handed over the letter naming the new CJI. All Supreme Court justices were asked to gather in the Judges’ Lounge so that CJI Lalit may name the new CJI.

CJI Lalit will retire on November 8 with effect. Justice Chandrachud will serve as the 50th Chief Justice of India from November 10, 2024, if the Center accepts CJI Lalit’s request, making it one of the longest tenure for a CJI.

Justice Chandrachud is renowned for his liberal and progressive rulings, the most recent of which upheld unmarried women’s right to an abortion up to 24 weeks in pregnancy. He was a member of the Constitution Benches that oversaw the decriminalisation of consenting homosexuality and the recognition of the right to privacy under Article 21. He was a member of the group that supported women of all ages having the freedom to visit the Sabarimala shrine. The five-judge panel that rendered a decision in the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid dispute also included Justice Chandrachud as a member.

His father YV Chandrachud also served as the 16th CJI of India.