Justice Sanjiv Khanna takes oath as India's 51st Chief Justice today

Justice Sanjiv Khanna has sworn in as India's 51st Chief Justice by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, following Justice DY Chandrachud's retirement at age 65

Justice Sanjiv Khanna has sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, following Justice DY Chandrachud's retirement.

 

Justice Khanna's appointment was recommended by Justice Chandrachud, who retired on November 10 at age 65. Justice Khanna's tenure as Chief Justice will continue until May 13 next year. 

 

President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Sanjiv Khanna at 10 am. He is set to serve a six-month term as Chief Justice of India.  Following the ceremony, Justice Khanna commenced judicial proceedings, and thanked lawyers for wishing him well. 

Born on May 14, 1960, Justice Khanna studied law at Delhi University's Campus Law Centre. A third-generation lawyer, he was appointed as a judge in the Delhi High Court before taking on roles such as executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa).

 

Elevated to the Supreme Court in January 2019, Justice Khanna has presided over several high-profile cases, including bail hearings in the liquor policy case involving Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

 

In a notable ruling, Justice Khanna’s bench granted interim bail to Kejriwal in May to enable him to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. The bench later referred the case to a larger panel, granting interim bail again in July to further examine the application of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to prevent potential misuse.

 

In a significant ruling, Justice Khanna highlighted that delays in legal proceedings could justify granting bail under PMLA. This decision was made in a case concerning former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

 

As a member of the Constitution Bench, Justice Khanna has contributed to landmark judgments, such as those on Article 370 and electoral bonds, and has presided over cases involving electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).

 

Justice Khanna is currently the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority and serves on the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal.