CJI DY Chandrachud Warns of Tech Dependence Risks After Microsoft Outage

Microsoft Outage

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, a proponent of technological advancements in the judiciary, acknowledged the drawbacks of technology during a speech.

He referenced the global Microsoft outage on July 19, which disrupted numerous computers, servers, and telecommunication services.

CJI Chandrachud recounted how the outage nearly led to the cancellation of his flight from Delhi to Madurai. “I am a strong advocate for technology’s benefits, but yesterday’s Microsoft outage highlighted its downsides. The outage led to numerous flight cancellations, including those from Delhi. Fortunately, the warm reception from the people of Madurai ensured I could be here today,” he said.

The CJI spoke at the Vigentennial Celebrations marking 20 years of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.

On the day of the outage, many Windows users encountered the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), which caused widespread disruptions. Initial assumptions blamed Microsoft, but reports later revealed that the problem was due to a recent update from Crowdstrike, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm.

The outage also impacted the live-streaming of several Supreme Court proceedings, forcing lawyers to travel to the court in person and causing some to request case adjournments. CJI Chandrachud had completed his case list by noon the previous day to accommodate his travel to Madurai.