Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the second-most senior Supreme Court judge, has been recommended by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud as his successor in a letter to the Union law ministry.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud wrote the letter following the convention, in which the retiring CJI nominates the second-most senior judge as their successor. The Union government must approve this recommendation. Chandrachud became the Chief Justice on November 9, 2022, and his term will end on November 10, 2024. Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65.
At an event in Bhutan on October 9, Chandrachud shared that his mind is filled with concerns about the future and the past. He questioned whether he had achieved his goals and how history would view his tenure.
Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna?
Justice Sanjiv enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983. He began practicing at the district courts in the Tis Hazari complex and later moved to the Delhi High Court and tribunals.
He served as the Senior Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department and became the Standing Counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 2004.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna also appeared as an Additional Public Prosecutor and as an amicus curiae in criminal cases at the Delhi High Court. In 2005, he was appointed as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court and became a permanent judge in 2006.
He held important roles, including Chairman/Judge-in-charge of the Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi International Arbitration Centre, and District Court Mediation Centres.
On January 18, 2019, Justice Sanjiv Khanna was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court without first serving as a High Court Chief Justice.
He is currently the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority and a member of the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.
In a case involving a journalist’s remarks during a TV show, a bench led by Justice Khanna ruled that Article 19(1)(a), which guarantees free speech, cannot be used to undermine the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna: Two Decades of Legal Expertise
Justice Khanna has over two decades of legal expertise. Before joining the Supreme Court, he served as a judge in the Delhi High Court for 14 years. He is known for his knowledge of taxation and commercial laws and has authored many important judgments.
Born on May 14, 1960, Khanna earned his law degree from Delhi University and started practicing in 1983. He began in Delhi’s district courts and later moved to the Delhi High Court and tribunals. His work covers constitutional law, arbitration, direct taxes, company law, land laws, and environmental law, among other areas.
CJI DY Chandrachud Recommends Justice Sanjiv Khanna as Next Chief Justice
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who is about to retire, has recommended Justice Khanna, the second senior judge of the Supreme Court, as the next Chief Justice of India.
CJI Chandrachud has sent a letter to the Union Government proposing Justice Khanna’s name. He will leave office on November 10, 2024. If the Union Government accepts this recommendation, Justice Khanna will become the 51st Chief Justice of India. He will serve a term of nearly seven months until May 13, 2025.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna joined the Supreme Court from the Delhi High Court in January 2019. The Chief Justice will retire on November 10. Justice Khanna will take the oath as the next Chief Justice of India on November 11.
Following the convention, CJI DY Chandrachud has recommended Justice Khanna as the next Chief Justice of India to the Centre.
He has officially written to the Centre to propose Justice Khanna’s name. If the Centre accepts this recommendation, Justice Khanna will become the 51st Chief Justice of India. As CJI, Justice Khanna will serve a term of nearly seven months until May 13, 2025, when he retires. CJI Chandrachud will retire after serving almost two years as Chief Justice.
Who Will Succeed Chief Justice DY Chandrachud? Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s Name Emerges for Top Post
Justice Khanna is currently the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court after CJI DY Chandrachud. He served as a judge in the Delhi High Court for 14 years before being elevated to the Supreme Court.
In a significant development, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has recommended Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the Supreme Court’s most senior judge, as his successor, sources reported on Wednesday. The central government sent a letter to the outgoing CJI last Friday, asking him to make this recommendation according to the Memorandum of Procedure.
CJI Chandrachud is set to retire on November 10 after serving as Chief Justice for two years. He took the oath of office on December 17, 2022, becoming the 50th Chief Justice of India. After taking the oath, Justice Chandrachud paid tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Supreme Court. His father, YV Chandrachud, was the longest-serving Chief Justice of India, holding the position from February 22, 1978, to July 11, 1985.