Justice Sanjiv Khanna, a distinguished Chief Justice of India-designate, was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India yesterday. The Honourable Justice DY Chandrachud recommended him for the successor post. President Droupadi Murmu administered his oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned to social media and wished Chief Justice Khanna, saying that he attended the oath-taking ceremony of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
“All the very best for his term,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Official notification in this regard was issued by the Centre on October 24, following which Justice Chandrachud recommended his name. Justice Chandrachud’s last working day was November 8. Bidding an emotional farewell on the day, judges, lawyers, and staff of the Supreme Court and the high courts.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been involved in several landmark Supreme Court judgments, including the validation of the integrity of electronic voting machines (EVMs), the striking of the electoral bonds scheme, the endorsing of the abrogation of Article 370, and the granting of interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
A distinguished family member, Justice Khanna is the son of former Delhi High Court judge Justice Dev Raj Khanna and nephew of distinguished former Supreme Court judge HR Khanna. Third-generation lawyer Justice Khanna took the bench on January 18, 2019.
The nephew of Justice HR Khanna, that uncle had stormed headlines in 1976 when he resigned in protest after dissenting with his peers in the infamous ADM Jabalpur case during the Emergency, a ruling that upheld the suspension of fundamental rights. His dissent was seen as a courageous stand for the rule of law, and indeed, he faced repercussions when the government superseded him, and Justice MH Beg was appointed the next Chief Justice.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna was born on May 14, 1960. He graduated in law from Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre. He was the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority and enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983.
He began his practice in Tis Hazari District Courts and continued in the Delhi High Court, where he served for a long duration as senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department. In 2004, Justice Khanna was appointed as the standing counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. In this role, he is expected to focus on reducing the pendency of cases and hastening justice delivery in the Indian judiciary.
