NEW DELHI, Nov 11: Justice Sanjiv Khanna was officially sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India today, succeeding Justice D Y Chandrachud. Appointed to the Supreme Court in January 2019, Justice Khanna’s tenure as Chief Justice will last until his retirement on May 13, 2025, giving him a little over six months in office. Known for prioritizing judicial efficiency, he aims to address case backlogs while maintaining a low profile amid today’s social media environment.
Justice Khanna began his legal career in 1983 with the Delhi Bar, initially practicing in district courts before moving to the Delhi High Court and other tribunals. He served as senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department and later as civil standing counsel for Delhi. Appointed as a Delhi High Court judge in 2005, he became permanent in 2006 and held roles such as chairman of the Delhi Judicial Academy and the Delhi International Arbitration Centre.
In his service to legal institutions, Justice Khanna chaired the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee and is currently the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority. A member of the National Judicial Academy’s Governing Council, he also brings a family legacy, being the nephew of Justice H R Khanna, who contributed to the historic basic structure doctrine in the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case.
Justice Khanna has ruled on several high-profile cases, including one involving a journalist’s FIR, where he stressed that Article 19(1)(a) cannot infringe upon Article 21 rights. He also issued a dissenting opinion on the Central Vista project clearance and was involved in significant Constitutional Bench decisions, such as upholding Article 370’s abrogation, invalidating the 2018 electoral bonds scheme, and ruling on Aligarh Muslim University’s minority status.
