One of India’s foremost lawyers, Dushyant Dave has said: “I hope history does not remember Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and I hope his legacy is forgotten as quickly as possible”.
Asked if he was saying CJI Chandrachud should be forgotten, Dave replied, “Yes, absolutely”.
In a 45-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, to assess Justice Chandrachud’s performance both as a judge and Chief Justice of India as well as the administrative head of the Supreme Court, Dushyant Dave said: “He has disappointed very deeply … my expectations have been seriously belied.”
Dave said when the rule of law and democracy was in danger “Chief Justice Chandrachud not only failed but did not even attempt to succeed.”
In an interview two years ago in October 2022, recorded a couple of weeks before Justice Chandrachud took over as Chief Justice of India, Dave had said: “In politically sensitive matters he has not risen to levels expected of him.” Asked now if that has proven to be the case as Chief Justice, Dave said: “Definitely yes”. He said as Chief Justice, Justice Chandrachud “pandered to the party in power since 2014”.
