Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as India’s 51st Chief Justice on Monday, with President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan. His term as Chief Justice will last 183 days, ending on May 13, 2025.
Justice Khanna’s legal career began in 1983, focusing on areas including taxation, constitutional matters, arbitration, commercial, and environmental law. In 2004, he served as the Standing Counsel (Civil) for Delhi’s National Capital Territory, and by 2005, he became an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court, attaining permanent status a year later. He joined the Supreme Court on January 18, 2019, a move he described as unexpected.
Justice Khanna is the nephew of Justice Hans Raj Khanna, famous for his dissent in the ADM Jabalpur case. As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Sanjiv Khanna has contributed to several significant rulings, particularly in recent months. In 2022, he was part of the Constitution Bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370. He also played a role in striking down the Electoral Bonds scheme, which had allowed anonymous donations to political parties.
In April, Justice Khanna, along with Justice Dipankar Datta, dismissed a petition seeking to tally all VVPAT slips with EVM votes. Ahead of this year’s general elections, his Bench also refused to halt the appointments of Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
Justice Khanna’s Bench has been involved in various high-profile bail cases. In July, he led the Bench that granted interim bail to then-Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy scandal. Similarly, his Bench previously granted bail to MP Sanjay Singh in the same case.
In August, Justice Khanna questioned the dress code enforced by a Mumbai college, partially staying a notice that restricted students from wearing burqas, hijabs, or niqabs on campus. Previously, in 2021, he voiced dissent in the majority decision on the Central Vista Project.
Justice Khanna’s tenure as CJI continues to highlight his contributions to critical legal and constitutional matters in India.
With inputs from the agency.
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