Justice Sanjiv Khanna; 51st Chief Justice of India

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Sanjiv Khanna as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI). The swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan was attended by prominent figures including Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other dignitaries such as former and sitting judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

Key Highlights of Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s Journey

Justice Khanna succeeds Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who retired on November 10, 2024. He will serve as CJI until May 13, 2025. Following his oath-taking, Chief Justice Khanna presided over court one at the Supreme Court to handle a list of 47 cases, alongside Justice Sanjay Kumar. His connection to India’s judicial history is strong, as he shares a legacy with his uncle, Justice H.R. Khanna—celebrated for his defense of personal liberty during the Emergency in 1977, a stance that cost him the Chief Justiceship.

Landmark Judgments

1. Personal Liberty: Known for defending personal liberty, Justice Khanna granted interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asserting that personal liberty is a sacrosanct right.

2. EVM and Paper Ballots: In a notable judgment, he supported Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) over paper ballots, cautioning against excessive skepticism toward institutions, which could hinder progress.

3. Secularism: During hearings on challenges to the inclusion of ‘secularism’ and ‘socialism’ in the Preamble (added by the 42nd Amendment), he highlighted that secularism was inherent to India’s Basic Structure.

Key Challenges for Chief Justice Khanna

In his six-month tenure, Chief Justice Khanna will face pressing challenges such as:

High case pendency in the Supreme Court.
Increasing the use of technology in court processes.
Timely judicial appointments through the Collegium system. He will have two immediate vacancies to fill, including a potential female judge appointment following Justice Hima Kohli’s retirement. Two more judges will retire in January 2025, adding to his responsibilities.

Major Pending Cases

Chief Justice Khanna is expected to address high-profile cases, such as:

Money Bill Controversies: Whether using the Money Bill route for laws like the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is valid.

Religious Practices: A significant nine-judge Bench will address the question of protecting essential religious practices constitutionally, as highlighted by the Sabarimala temple entry case.

Marital Sexual Offenses: A batch of petitions on the criminalization of non-consensual marital sexual intercourse awaits allocation, following delays in previous hearings.

Career Highlights

Chief Justice Khanna’s legal career began in 1983, with a practice spanning constitutional, taxation, arbitration, commercial, environmental law, and more. Elevated as Delhi High Court Judge in 2005, he became a Supreme Court judge on January 18, 2019. An exceptional aspect of his career was his direct elevation to the Supreme Court from his parent High Court, bypassing traditional seniority ranks—a distinction that only a few judges hold.

Significance

As master of the roster, Chief Justice Khanna will oversee sensitive case allocations, which have been scrutinized over time. His appointment brings a wealth of legal expertise and a commitment to justice that could shape critical judicial reforms and strengthen India’s constitutional values.