Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been appointed as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) and is set to take the oath of office on November 11, 2024, after retiring of the incumbent CJI, D.Y. Chandrachud, on November 10. His term will thus only be for around six months because he would himself retire on May 13, 2025; he would be CJI, just for a while.
Professional Background and Notable Cases
A distinguished judge of the Supreme Court of India, during his hearsay, he participated in passing several landmark judgments. He started his career in 2005 as an additional judge in the Delhi High Court and was later elevated to permanent judge assignments in 2006. He ascended to the Supreme Court in January 2019 and since then has worked on several landmark cases, laying the foundation of Indian jurisprudence.
Amongst the most reputed judgments he presided over, shows that electoral bond scheme was unconstitutional, clearly reproducing his attention to transparency in electoral funding as a guardian of democratic governance. He was a member of the Constitution Bench, which upheld the judgement concerning Article 370. He held that it represents asymmetric federalism yet was removed from India without undermining the federal structure.
Another remarkable judgements during his tenure were the bail given to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, noting that bail ought to be granted to an undertrial prisoner detained for a long time. Here, Justice Khanna establishes important judgments regarding Constitutional issues, civil liberties, and transparency.
Personal Life and Legacy
Justice Khanna was born into a family with a glorious judicial tradition on May 14, 1960. His father, Justice Dev Raj Khanna, served as a judge of the Delhi High Court, while his uncle, Justice Hans Raj Khanna, had cultivated some esteem because his dissenting judgment during the Emergency in the ADM Jabalpur case has since become a landmark moment in the judicial history of India.
Justice Khanna is known for his assiduousness in disposing of cases and his commitment to equal justice. Presently, he is the Executive-Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority, a body giving free legal aid to all poor and disadvantaged sections of the society.
Challenges and Expectations
Justice Khanna will have a relatively short but extremely momentous tenure. His decisions always resonate with a vision that delivers accountable and transparent governance. All eyes shall be on his time as CJI. He may address several pressing judicial issues during this brief tenure-one that revolves around reform and backlog in the judicial system.
With his experience and a commitment to defend constitutional rights, Justice Khanna ought to continue this tradition of judicial excellence in India and make sure that the judiciary remains a critical organ of democracy.
And as the country looks towards Justice Khanna’s coming stature as CJI, the appointment shows the continuity of the values of transparency, civil rights, and reformed democratic governance. His tenure may offer substantial attention during a relatively short span and further align with thoughts about the protection of the Indian Constitution.
