In many respects, Indian law often falls far behind the times we live in and in comparison with laws of other progressive countries.
Perhaps the yoke of colonialism will forever restrict bureaucracy and justice in the country. Recently for example there have flip flops on laws regarding homosexuality and euthanasia. And now you have the coincidences of a son having to overturn his father’s rulings. It’s not to say that occasionally some forward looking member of the bench will not break ground; but that is a rare exception. The case of Yeshwant Chandrachud and his son Dhananjaya Chandrachud highlights this rarity. Both were/are illustrious judges. The father who retired in 1985 as CJI and died in 2008 was known as “Iron Hands”. The son is a Harvard educated Supreme Court Justice who is tipped to become a future CJI himself. The father was conservative, but not die-hard. The son is liberal and progressive. I witnessed a brilliant presentation by the senior Chandrachud who was called to grace a moot court in Govt Law College in Churchgate when I was a first year student there. There is not much that can impress a 22 year old, but I was impressed. I recently read a judgement by junior and it was scintillating. Forgetting Harvard, you couldn’t tell who was the cleverer - Father or son. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/justice-chandrachud-keeps-running-into-fathers-rulings/articleshow/65250527.cms Roland.
