Sun Nov 24 12:54:05 UTC 2024: ## Former Chief Justice Chandrachud Weighs in on Retired Judges Entering Politics
**NEW DELHI** – Former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has expressed his opinion on retired judges entering politics, suggesting that their post-retirement activities should uphold public faith in the judiciary. Speaking at NDTV’s Samvidhan@75 conclave, Justice Chandrachud stated that society continues to view former judges as custodians of the law, and their conduct, even after retirement, must reflect this.
He personally stated he would avoid any post-retirement activities (after age 65, the mandatory retirement age for judges) that could compromise the perception of his judicial work or the integrity of the judicial system. While acknowledging that judges are entitled to the same rights as other citizens, he emphasized that society expects a higher standard of behavior from them.
Justice Chandrachud clarified that he wasn’t criticizing judges who had previously entered politics, but rather highlighted the potential for perceptions of conflict of interest if a judge transitions directly into politics after retirement. He suggested that a judge’s post-retirement decisions should carefully consider how they might impact the public’s assessment of their past judicial work.
He further advocated for an internal judicial consensus on acceptable post-retirement activities for judges, suggesting that current and former judges should engage in discussions to establish clear guidelines. This, he believes, would help maintain public trust in the judiciary.
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