Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna, India's next Chief Justice
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjiv Khanna as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI). He will take office on November 11, after the retirement of current CJI DY Chandrachud. Born into a prominent legal family on May 14, 1960, his father was Delhi High Court judge Justice Dev Raj Khanna and his mother was a Hindi lecturer at Lady Shri Ram College.
Justice Khanna's early life and education
Justice Khanna finished his schooling from Delhi's Modern School in 1977 and graduated from St Stephen's College in 1980. He studied law at Delhi University's Campus Law Centre. He started his legal career in 1983 after enrolling with the Bar Council of Delhi, practicing at the Tis Hazari district courts and later at the Delhi High Court.
Justice Khanna's legal career and notable cases
In 2004, he was appointed as the Standing Counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The next year, he was elevated as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court and became a permanent judge in 2006. He was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on January 18, 2019. At the SC, Justice Khanna has heard several high-profile cases.
Justice Khanna's high-profile cases and current roles
He had granted interim bail to former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and ruled that delays in cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act could justify granting bail. In a landmark 2024 verdict, he rejected demands for full VVPAT verification for EVMs. He also participated in a ruling that declared the electoral bond scheme unconstitutional and was part of a bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370 concerning J&K.
Justice Khanna's appointment and tenure as CJI
His appointment as CJI comes after a recommendation by CJI Chandrachud to the Union government. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced on social media: "In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution...Hon'ble President, after consultation with Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as Chief Justice of India with effect from 11th November, 2024." His tenure as CJI will continue till May 13, 2025.
