On Friday, SCBA President and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal praised outgoing Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, for encouraging open criticism of judges and reshaping the judiciary by enabling online access to court proceedings.

Sibal noted that Chandrachud addressed challenging issues that had been overlooked by his predecessors, transforming the judicial landscape.

Speaking at the farewell function organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal commended Justice D.Y. Chandrachud for broadening the scope of equality in the judiciary. Sibal noted that Justice Chandrachud would be remembered for his impactful judgments, modesty, warmth, patience, and demeanor, describing these as “the hallmarks of one of the greatest judges of this country.”

Sibal added that Justice Chandrachud faced the significant legacy of his father, who served as Chief Justice of India for over seven years, and remarked that he had "truly outpaced" his father’s achievements.

“You’ve given access to millions of people to watch how judges are doing, how they are delivering justice. One day there’s going to be a forensic audit. You allowed people to criticise you. What can be braver than that… You’ve been a pioneer, a torchbearer & a ground-breaking innovator… You’ll be remembered for being one of the patient judges,” he said.

Sibal described Justice Chandrachud’s tenure as “deeply rich and generative,” contributing to the development of a wide-ranging legal landscape that will shape the future of justice delivery. “Through your judgments, you have shown a readiness to explore uncharted areas of law,” Sibal remarked, adding that “this Chandrachud may have even surpassed the legacy of his father, the longest-serving CJI of India.”

He further noted that Justice Chandrachud would be remembered for his dedication to advancing perfection in justice, protecting life and liberty, and championing equality.

“Ultimately the legacy of any judge is measured as to how he has sought to safeguard the citizen’s right, & in that regard, it is beyond any doubt that Chief Justice Chandrachud has rendered some phenomenal judgments,” he said.

“Now how do you build a society when the march of technology is so oppressive that it will destroy the very dignity of the individual & the independence of a human being? “These are the challenges we are going to meet, & to the extent to those challenges, you have already tried to grapple with in the judgements you’ve delivered, take for example the privacy judgment,” he said.

Sibal added, “You were willing to take it forward. You were willing to address, & you addressed them with great clarity. We must thank you for all that you have done, & salute you for the fact that were willing, ready to deal with those complexities".

Chandrachud expanded equality by embracing diversity, Sibal said, adding, “You’re a trailblazer in this regard, for the kind of protection you granted to disability rights. You were a staunch votary of nothing about us is without us.”