The Crossbill Team
Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Monday, November 11, with President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeds Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, whose term ended on November 10. Justice Khanna's tenure as CJI will run until May 13, 2025. His appointment, confirmed by the Union government on October 24, followed a recommendation made by Justice Chandrachud on October 16.
Justice Khanna's legal career began in 1983, when he enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi. He initially practiced at the district courts in Tis Hazari, before advancing to the Delhi High Court and tribunals.
Over the years, he served as senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department and the standing counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi from 2004. Additionally, he represented a number of criminal cases as an additional public prosecutor and amicus curiae in the Delhi High Court.
In 2005, Justice Khanna was appointed as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court, becoming a permanent judge the following year. During his tenure at the High Court, he held several key positions, including chairman of the Delhi Judicial Academy, the Delhi International Arbitration Centre, and the District Court Mediation Centres.
In January 2019, Justice Khanna was elevated to the Supreme Court. Since then, he has been involved in several landmark rulings. Notably, he was part of the bench that struck down the electoral bonds scheme in 2019 and upheld the reading down of Article 370, which impacted Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
He also played a significant role in the bench that took suo motu cognizance of sexual harassment allegations against then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Furthermore, Justice Khanna authored the lead judgment affirming that the Right to Information (RTI) Act applies to the office of the Chief Justice of India.
Justice Khanna has also made significant contributions in legal services and judicial administration. He served as chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee from June to December 2023 and is the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority. Additionally, he has been a member of the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.
A judge known for his independent and often bold positions, Justice Khanna has presided over several high-profile cases. In the Amish Devgan v. Union of India case, he stressed the need for regulating hate speech to maintain social harmony. He also dissented in a case concerning the Central Vista redevelopment project, raising concerns about the adherence to due process.
Justice Khanna has played a crucial role in shaping constitutional law. He was part of a bench that allowed the irretrievable breakdown of marriage as grounds for dissolution under Article 142, thus introducing greater flexibility in matrimonial law.
In politically sensitive cases, he granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in May 2023 to allow him to campaign for elections and referred matters related to arrest grounds under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to a larger bench.
Justice Khanna was also involved in the case regarding the abrogation of Article 370, where the court upheld the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Furthermore, he was part of the bench that addressed the EVM-VVPAT verification matter, rejecting a plea for 100% verification, while recommending additional safeguards.
In a separate opinion on electoral bonds, Justice Khanna acknowledged the scheme's validity but expressed concerns over its potential to infringe on constitutional rights due to the anonymity it afforded political donations.
Justice Khanna's legal career began in 1983, when he enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi. He initially practiced at the district courts in Tis Hazari, before advancing to the Delhi High Court and tribunals.
Over the years, he served as senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department and the standing counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi from 2004. Additionally, he represented a number of criminal cases as an additional public prosecutor and amicus curiae in the Delhi High Court.
In 2005, Justice Khanna was appointed as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court, becoming a permanent judge the following year. During his tenure at the High Court, he held several key positions, including chairman of the Delhi Judicial Academy, the Delhi International Arbitration Centre, and the District Court Mediation Centres.
In January 2019, Justice Khanna was elevated to the Supreme Court. Since then, he has been involved in several landmark rulings. Notably, he was part of the bench that struck down the electoral bonds scheme in 2019 and upheld the reading down of Article 370, which impacted Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
He also played a significant role in the bench that took suo motu cognizance of sexual harassment allegations against then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Furthermore, Justice Khanna authored the lead judgment affirming that the Right to Information (RTI) Act applies to the office of the Chief Justice of India.
Justice Khanna has also made significant contributions in legal services and judicial administration. He served as chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee from June to December 2023 and is the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority. Additionally, he has been a member of the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.
A judge known for his independent and often bold positions, Justice Khanna has presided over several high-profile cases. In the Amish Devgan v. Union of India case, he stressed the need for regulating hate speech to maintain social harmony. He also dissented in a case concerning the Central Vista redevelopment project, raising concerns about the adherence to due process.
Justice Khanna has played a crucial role in shaping constitutional law. He was part of a bench that allowed the irretrievable breakdown of marriage as grounds for dissolution under Article 142, thus introducing greater flexibility in matrimonial law.
In politically sensitive cases, he granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in May 2023 to allow him to campaign for elections and referred matters related to arrest grounds under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to a larger bench.
Justice Khanna was also involved in the case regarding the abrogation of Article 370, where the court upheld the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Furthermore, he was part of the bench that addressed the EVM-VVPAT verification matter, rejecting a plea for 100% verification, while recommending additional safeguards.
In a separate opinion on electoral bonds, Justice Khanna acknowledged the scheme's validity but expressed concerns over its potential to infringe on constitutional rights due to the anonymity it afforded political donations.
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