Justice Sanjiv Khanna To Take Oath As India’s 51st Chief Justice Today
Justice Sanjiv Khanna To Take Oath As India's 51st Chief Justice Today
In a significant ceremony scheduled for 10 am today at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Justice Sanjiv Khanna will take oath as the 51st Chief Justice of India, succeeding Justice Dhananjay Y Chandrachud who retired on November 10 . President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath, marking the beginning of Justice Khanna’s tenure as CJI.
Justice Khanna’s illustrious career spans over four decades, with notable judgments such as upholding the sanctity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), scrapping the electoral bonds scheme, and supporting the abrogation of Article 370 . His tenure as a Supreme Court judge since January 2019 has been marked by significant contributions to the Indian judiciary.
Born on May 14, 1960, Justice Khanna enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983 and started his practice in the Tis Hazari district courts of Delhi. He served as senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department and as standing counsel for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Elevated to the Delhi High Court in 2005, he became a permanent judge in 2006.
Some of Justice Khanna’s notable judgments include:
- 1 Association for Democratic Reforms v Election Commission of India (2024): rejecting demands for reverting to paper ballots and emphasizing the role of EVMs in preventing electoral malpractice
- 2. Electoral Bond Scheme_ (2024): declaring the scheme unconstitutional
- 3. Abrogation of Article 370_ (2023): upholding the validity of the abrogation
- 4. Shilpa Sailesh v Varun Sreenivasan (2023): granting divorce under Article 142 of the Constitution
Justice Khanna’s legacy is intertwined with a family history of judicial integrity. His father, Justice Dev Raj Khanna, served in the Delhi High Court, and his uncle, Justice HR Khanna, is celebrated for his courageous dissent in the ADM Jabalpur case.
As CJI, Justice Khanna’s term will be brief, ending on May 13, 2025 . He is expected to focus on addressing judicial reforms, strengthening judicial independence, and furthering legal services and access across the nation. One of his primary challenges will be addressing the pendency of cases, a concern that has weighed heavily on the Indian judicial system.
