Chief Justice DY Chandrachud Suggests Changes in Court Practices at Calcutta High Court Event

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud proposed that the practice of stopping judicial work for the rest of the day when a member of the Bar passes away should be reconsidered. He made this suggestion during the bicentennial celebrations of the Bar Library at Calcutta High Court.

He questioned, “Should we be ceasing work because a member of the Bar has passed away? Of course, we respect our friends, our colleagues, and our seniors; sometimes, unfortunately, they are our peers who have passed away untimely. Do we need to affect the wider society at large?”

Chief Justice Chandrachud shared his experience from his time as Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, where the court would stop work for the day after a reference for a deceased member. He suggested that references be conducted half an hour before the court’s closing time to minimize disruption.

He recounted a personal story about his father, Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, the 16th Chief Justice of India. When his father passed away, he suggested that the reference be held close to the court’s closing time, allowing the court to function for most of the day.