Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been officially sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India today at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In a formal ceremony presided over by President Droupadi Murmu, Justice Khanna took the oath of office, succeeding Justice DY Chandrachud. With a tenure set to last until May 13, 2025, he brings a legacy of judicial excellence and reform to the Supreme Court of India.
Justice Khanna, who has made significant contributions to the judiciary, is widely recognized for his landmark judgments, including those on the electoral bond scheme, Article 370, and electronic voting machines (EVMs). Notably, he was part of the five-judge bench that deemed the electoral bond scheme unconstitutional and upheld the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Coming from a family deeply rooted in the legal field, Justice Khanna is the son of former Delhi High Court Judge Dev Raj Khanna and the nephew of Justice HR Khanna, whose dissenting judgment during the Emergency-era ADM Jabalpur case is remembered as a bold stand for judicial independence. This legacy underscores Justice Khanna’s commitment to justice, which he aims to strengthen by reducing case pendency and expediting justice delivery.
In his career, Justice Khanna has served as a Supreme Court judge since January 2019 and has ruled on various impactful cases. Among them is his support for the use of EVMs in elections, rejecting claims of manipulation and emphasizing their role in reducing electoral malpractices. His tenure also saw the Supreme Court granting interim bail to Delhi’s former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, allowing him to campaign in Lok Sabha elections.
Justice Khanna studied law at the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University and enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983. He practiced extensively in Delhi’s District and High Courts, representing the Income Tax Department as Senior Standing Counsel and serving as an additional public prosecutor.
As the executive chairman of the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA), Justice Khanna has also been an advocate for legal aid services and equitable access to justice. With his wealth of experience and dedication, his tenure as Chief Justice is expected to emphasize swift and fair justice for all.
