Former CJI D Y Chandrachud appointed as 'distinguished professor' at NLU Delhi

NEW DELHI: Former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has been named a "distinguished professor" at National Law University (NLU), Delhi. The university shared the announcement in a press release on Thursday and described it as a major step for legal education in India."We are profoundly honoured to welcome Dr Justice D Y Chandrachud, former Chief Justice of India, as a Distinguished Professor at National Law University Delhi," NLU Delhi said in the press release.NLU Vice-Chancellor G S Bajpai called the move a key moment for legal academia. "This historic association marks a transformative chapter in Indian legal education, bringing one of our most progressive jurists to mentor the next generation of legal minds. Justice Chandrachud's presence will profoundly enrich our academic ecosystem," he said.Under this collaboration, the university will set up a Centre for Constitutional Studies, where Justice Chandrachud will lead research work.NLU Delhi also plans to begin a lecture series titled In the Spirit of Justice: The DYC Distinguished Lecture Series starting in July 2025. This series will focus on major judgments authored by Justice Chandrachud, covering topics like privacy, LGBTQ+ rights, gender justice, digital freedoms, and judicial reforms. These will be discussed from his point of view.Justice Chandrachud retired in November 2024 after serving two years as the 50th Chief Justice of India. He joined the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016, and was part of 38 Constitution benches. Some of the significant cases he was involved in include the Ayodhya land dispute case, the ruling on the right to privacy, the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships, and the decision on Article 370.Before his time in the Supreme Court, he served as a judge in the Bombay high court from 2000, then became Chief Justice of the Allahabad high court in 2013. He was appointed a senior advocate in 1998 and had served as additional solicitor general before becoming a judge.Also read: 'Supreme Court has been at vanguard of personal liberty’: Ex CJI Chandrachud