Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna, new Chief Justice of India
Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will serve as CJI for six months. His predecessor, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, who retired on Sunday, had nominated him for the position.
Justice Khanna's early legal career and expertise
Born on May 14, 1960, Justice Khanna started his career as an advocate with the Delhi Bar Council in 1983. His areas of expertise include constitutional law, taxation, arbitration, commercial law, and environmental law. He was Senior Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department before being appointed Standing Counsel (Civil) for Delhi in 2004.
Justice Khanna's judicial career and contributions
Justice Khanna was made an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005 and by the next year, he had become a permanent judge. His judicial career is replete with contributions to various legal institutions like the Delhi Judicial Academy and Delhi International Arbitration Centre. He was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court on January 18, 2019, without having served as Chief Justice of a High Court.
Landmark judgments and current roles
Among Justice Khanna's landmark judgments is the grant of interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, allowing him to campaign during Lok Sabha elections. In another important ruling, he stressed that delays in proceedings could be grounds for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This was in connection with a case involving Delhi's former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.
