Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, former Chief Justice of India, often known as India’s “first- celebrity judge” is set to attend the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters 2025, where he will engage in a session titled ‘Reimagining India: Fraternity as the Constitutional Soul’ on the festival’s opening day. 

The festival will be held at the Kanakakkunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram from February 6 to 9.

His tenure is marked by landmark decisions such as upholding the right to privacy in Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017), decriminalising Section 377 to recognise LGBTQ+ rights in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018), and permitting women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple in Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018), promoting gender equality. 

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D.Y. Chandrachud

Chandrachud is the only father-son duo to have been the Chief Justice of India. Interestingly, his grandfather and uncle were also lawyers. 

In a recent BBC interview, when asked about how history will judge his tenure, he pondered, “Did I achieve everything I set out to do? What legacy will I leave for future generations of judges and legal professionals?” 

Despite his monumental achievements, Chandrachud remains humble, having authored a total of 93 judgments—more than his last four predecessors combined.

It’s remarkable to note that law was not Chandrachud’s initial career choice. He graduated from St Stephen’s College in Economics and Mathematics thinking of pursuing a post-graduation in Economics from Delhi School of Economics. But, as fate would have it, his path pivoted and he joined the law facility drawing influence from his father and former Chief justice YV Chandrachud.

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D.Y. Chandrachud

His visit to the festival promises to be an opportunity for attendees to hear from one of India’s most influential legal mind.

Justice DY Chandrachud will be part of the “Reimagining India” series at venue-3( Festival hall) at 4pm.