Justice Sanjiv Khanna Sworn In As India's 51st Chief Justice: Key Cases and Legacy Ahead
Justice Sanjiv Khanna assumed the office of the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday through an oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan. His taking over has come in the wake of the retirement of Justice DY Chandrachud, who served as Chief Justice till he attained superannuation age and retired on November 10. Justice Khanna will consequently occupy the proud position until his retirement on May 13 of the next year.
A Notable Vow Ceremony
Several top dignitaries witnessed the swearing-in ceremony, wherein President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office. The main attendees comprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud in an unmistakable indication that this transition holds national importance. In an instance of continuity within the judiciary of India, it was Justice Chandrachud who had made the recommendation to elevate Justice Khanna as Chief Justice.
Justice Khanna's Profession and Background
Justice Khanna is the third generation from a family with a strong tradition of lawyers. He did his law degree from the Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. He has over the years earned great respect for his rich legal acumen as he began by being a judge in the Delhi High Court and later joined the Supreme Court in January 2019. Outside the Bench, his contributions include acting as an executive chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for ensuring access to justice for socio-economically marginalized sections of society.
Significant Cases and Judgments
One such established example is Justice Khanna, who took part in innumerable headline cases during his judicial tenure as a Supreme Court judge. It was his bench that heard bail applications of some of the most high-profile political nature, including Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal. The same bench has granted interim bail to Kejriwal in May to join election campaigns. This judgment was later referred to a larger bench. The judgment considered the conditions of necessity in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for detention of a potential misuse of arrest powers.
Along with this significant judgment, Justice Khanna also came in several significant matters before the Constitution Bench during his tenure. He had been a part of judgments on the issue of Article 370 pertaining to special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the electoral bonds case related to transparency in political funding. His bench looked into questions such as legality over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs). This reveals the interest he had in cases that actually formed challenges against the fundamental aspects of India's democratic processes.
Legacy and the future of Indian judiciary under Justice Khanna
The elevation of Justice Khanna to the office of Chief Justice is expected to fortify the saga of judicial independence and transparency. His rich record of cases of national importance with the affirmative principle of balancing the interests of legal precedents along with the changing social needs of the society will prove pivotal to justice on Indian soils.
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