Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna will become the country’s 51st Chief Justice on November 11. The President has issued the letter of appointment approving his appointment. Current CJI DY Chandrachud had recommended Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s name to the Central government as his successor last week. As per the seniority rule of the Supreme Court, Justice Sanjeev Khanna will lead the country’s judiciary as the 51st Chief Justice of India, i.e. the CJI, for approximately 6 months from November 11, 2024 to on May 13, 2025.
Who is Justice Sanjeev Khanna?
Born in a family of jurists, Sanjeev Khanna is the son of Justice Devaraj Khanna, Judge of the Delhi High Court, and nephew of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Hansraj Khanna. Sanjeev Khanna was born on 14 May 1960. After completing his studies from Modern School, Barakhamba Road, Delhi, he graduated from Delhi University in 1980. He then pursued his law degree from Campus Law Center i.e. CLC from the University of Delhi.
Former Supreme Court judge Hans Raj Khanna, uncle of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, had given the only dissenting judgment in 1976 in ADM’s ‘Habeas Corpus case’, Jabalpur vs. Shivkant Shukla (1976). Following this, the then Indira Gandhi government appointed Justice MH Baig as the Chief Justice of the country in January 1977, ignoring the seniority of four judges, including the seniormost judge, Justice Hansraj Khanna.
He will become CJI for 6 months.
It is also an interesting fact that Justice Khanna was elevated to the Supreme Court directly from his native High Court, the Delhi High Court. Since 1997, only six judges have been promoted from their parent High Court and directly appointed as Supreme Court judges. They include Justice Syed Abdul Nazeer, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta, Justice GP Mathur, Justice Ruma Pal and Justice SS Quadri.
Justice Khanna was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on January 18, 2019. He will retire on 13-05-2025, a day before his 65th birthday. As per the seniority rule, Justice Sanjiv Khanna will become the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) for a period of 6 months from November 10, 2024 to May 13, 2025.
He was part of the constitutional court in many cases.
It was also a pleasant coincidence that Justice Sanjeev Khanna, after taking oath as a Supreme Court judge on January 18, 2019 in the CJI bench, began his first day from the same courtroom i.e. bench number two where his uncle was, Justice HR Khanna had resigned and retired. Justice HR Khanna’s photo is also displayed in the courtroom. During his tenure so far in the Supreme Court, Justice Khanna has been part of the Constitutional Court constituted for many important cases.
Similarly, the electoral bond scheme occupies a prominent place among the decisions of the Constitutional Chamber and the broader bench. In this case, the bonus plan was canceled for being unconstitutional. Justice Sanjeev Khanna was also present in the court that approved the Supreme Court’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the Centre’s decision to repeal Article 370. It also ordered restoration of statehood.
Kejriwal granted bail
Justice Khanna agreed with the decisions taken by the CJI and Justice Kaul. Justice Sanjeev Khanna also headed the two-judge bench that granted interim bail to then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Registered as an advocate with the Delhi Bar Council in 1983, Sanjeev Khanna initially practiced in the Tisahjari Complex District Court in Delhi and later in the Delhi High Court and in courts in various areas such as constitutional law, direct taxation and arbitration .
long legal experience
He had a long career as a permanent senior lawyer in the Income Tax Department in the areas of Commercial Law, Company Law, Land Law, Environmental Law and Medical Negligence. In 2004, he was appointed Permanent Advisor to the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. He also played his role very well in many criminal cases as Additional Public Prosecutor and Amicus Curiae in the Delhi High Court. Promoted as additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005. He was appointed as a permanent judge in 2006. While a judge of the Delhi High Court, he held the position of president/judge-in-charge of the Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi Center for International Arbitration and the District Court Arbitration Center.
He will retire on May 13, 2025.
On January 18, 2019, he was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. He served as Chairman of the Legal Services Committee of the Supreme Court from June 17, 2023 to December 25, 2023. He is currently the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority and a member of the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy of Bhopal. Justice Khanna will retire on May 13, 2025.
