Justice Sanjiv Khanna appointed as next Chief Justice of India, to take oath on November 11

Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) by President Droupadi Murmu. His appointment will come into effect on November 11, 2024, following the retirement of incumbent CJI DY Chandrachud on November 10. The announcement was made by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on X, confirming that the decision was taken after due consultation with the current Chief Justice, as mandated by the Constitution.

Justice Khanna, currently the second-most senior judge in the Supreme Court, will serve as the 51st Chief Justice of India. His tenure will be relatively brief, lasting six months until his retirement on May 13, 2025, upon reaching the age limit of 65. Despite the short tenure, Justice Khanna is expected to oversee important judicial matters during his term.

Born in 1960, Justice Khanna enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983 and initially practiced at the district courts at Tis Hazari. He later moved to the Delhi High Court, where he dealt with a wide range of cases, including constitutional, commercial, tax, and environmental matters. His elevation to the Delhi High Court bench came in 2005, where he was later made a permanent judge in 2006. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in January 2019.

Justice Khanna is known for his significant judicial contributions, particularly his involvement in constitutional cases. He was part of the Constitution Bench that struck down the constitutional validity of the electoral bonds scheme, a major ruling in the context of political funding transparency. He also played a key role in upholding the scrapping of Article 370, which revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

Justice Khanna’s legal legacy is also closely tied to his family, as he is the nephew of Justice HR Khanna, a celebrated figure for his dissenting judgment during the Emergency in 1976, defending individual rights against government overreach. Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s rise to the CJI position continues this legacy of judicial independence and integrity.