Chief Justice Chandrachud proposes Justice Sanjiv Khanna as his successor: Report

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has named Justice Sanjiv Khanna as his successor in his letter written to the Union Law Ministry. Justice Khanna is the second-most senior judge of the Supreme Court.

When approved, Justice Khanna will be the 51st Chief Justice of India. He will head the office for 6 months before retiring on 13 May 2025.

CJI Chandrachud, who is set to retire on November 10, was requested to name his successor in office by the government, as per convention.

Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna?

Justice Khanna enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983. Initially, he practiced at the district courts at the Tis Hazari complex before moving to the High Court of Delhi and tribunals.

After a long stint as the Senior Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department and in 2004, Justice Khanna was appointed the Standing Counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Khanna also appeared and argued in a number of criminal cases at the Delhi High Court as an Additional Public Prosecutor and an amicus curie.

In 2005, he was elevated as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court and was made a permanent judge in 2006.

During his tenure as a judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice Khanna also held the position of Chairman/Judge-in-charge, Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi International Arbitration Centre and the District Court Mediation Centres.

Justice Khanna was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court on 18 January 2019. He is among the few who are elevated to the Supreme Court even before becoming a Chief Justice of any High Court.

He also held the post of Chairman, Supreme Court Legal Service Committee, from 17 June 2023 till 25 December 2023.

Justice Khanna is currently the Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority, and a member of the Governing Counsel of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna: Landmark judgements

As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Khanna has been a part of several important rulings.

In the case against a journalist's comments on a TV show, a Bench led by him stated that Article 19(1)(a) cannot be used to override the fundamental right assured by Article 21. If one asserts their right to speech, others have the right to listen or not listen, and thus, the FIR was not quashed.

Justice Khanna, a member of the three-judge bench addressing the petitions against the Central Vista redevelopment project's clearance, expressed a dissenting opinion on the issue.

He has also participated in Constitution Bench decisions, such as the one affirming the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the one that invalidated the 2018 electoral bonds scheme.