Who Is Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Chosen By CJI Chandrachud As His Successor?
Justice Chandrachud, who took office on Nov. 9, 2022, will demit office on Nov. 10, 2024.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has formally recommended Justice Sanjiv Khanna to succeed him, and sent a letter to the Union government with the proposal. Justice Khanna, the second-most senior judge of the Supreme Court, will become the 51st Chief Justice of India for a seven-month term until his retirement on May 13, 2025.
This move follows the convention where the retiring Chief Justice nominates the second-most senior judge as their successor, subject to approval by the Union government.
Justice Chandrachud, who took office on Nov. 9, 2022, will demit office on Nov. 10, 2024, as Supreme Court judges retire at 65.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna: Early Life And Education
Justice Sanjiv Khanna was born on May 14, 1960. He pursued a law degree at the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, graduating with an LL.B. in 1983. Shortly after completing his education, he enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi, marking the beginning of a distinguished legal career.
Legal Career
Justice Khanna began his practice at the district courts in the Tis Hazari complex in Delhi, where he honed his skills in various legal fields, including constitutional law, direct taxation, arbitration, commercial law, company law, land law, environmental law and medical negligence.
He also served as the senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department for approximately seven years. In 2004, he was appointed as the Standing Counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Additionally, he represented the Delhi government as an Additional Public Prosecutor and acted as an amicus curiae in several criminal cases at the Delhi High Court.
Career As A Judge
Justice Khanna's journey in the judiciary began when he was promoted to the Delhi High Court as an Additional Judge on June 24, 2005.
He became a Permanent Judge on Feb. 20, 2006. During his tenure at the Delhi High Court, he played significant roles as Chairman/Judge-in-charge of various institutions, including the Delhi Judicial Academy, the Delhi International Arbitration Centre and the District Court Mediation Centres.
On Jan. 18, 2019, Justice Khanna was elevated to the Supreme Court of India, after being recommended by the collegium, and sanctioned by President Ramnath Kovind.
Justice Khanna has authored 117 judgments and participated in 456 benches. He has tracked 27 cases and primarily authored judgments in criminal matters (24%), along with civil (10%), constitutional (8%) and arbitration (6%) cases.
As of now, he is set to retire on May 13, 2025.
Significant Judgments
Justice Khanna has been part of many important cases throughout his tenure in the Supreme Court. Here’s a look at some of them:
Abrogation of Article 370: He was part of the bench that upheld the constitutional validity of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2023.
Electoral Bond Scheme: In 2024, he authored a concurring opinion declaring the Electoral Bond Scheme unconstitutional, saying that the scheme violates voters' collective right to information.
Mutual Consent Divorce: Justice Khanna's bench ruled that the Supreme Court has the authority to grant divorce on the grounds of “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” under Article 142 of the Constitution.
Right To Information: He authored the majority opinion in the landmark RTI judgement in 2019, affirming that the Office of the Chief Justice is not exempt from RTI requests and balancing judicial independence with the right to information.
Justice Khanna also serves as executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority, and is a member of the governing council of the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal. He has also held the post of chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee from June 17, 2023, to Dec. 25, 2023.
