CJI Chandrachud appoints Justice Sanjiv Khanna as his successor
Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has put forward the name of Justice Sanjiv Khanna to the government for his appointment as the 51st Chief Justice of India.
Chief Justice Chandrachud is set to retire on November 10.
According to the Memorandum of Procedure for appointing the Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court judges, the Law Ministry requests the outgoing Chief Justice’s recommendation regarding the next appointment.
The letter from the government initiates the process for selecting the next Chief Justice of India.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna is next in line to become Chief Justice of India, following the established seniority norm.
Justice Khanna was born on May 14, 1960, and in 1983 he joined the Delhi Bar Council, becoming an attorney.
He initially practiced in the district courts and subsequently in the High Court of Delhi, covering various areas of law, including constitutional law, direct taxation, arbitration, commercial law, company law, land law, environmental law, and medical negligence.
Justice Khanna served as a senior standing counsel for the Income Tax Department. He also acted as standing counsel for the National Capital Territory of Delhi and appeared as an Additional Public Prosecutor and amicus curiae in the High Court.
In 2005, he received a promotion to Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court, and in 2006, he was made a Permanent Judge. On January 18, 2019, he was named a Supreme Court justice. The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, selected Justice Khanna over other candidates on the basis of merit and honesty, despite the fact that he was rated 33rd in the aggregate seniority of High Court justices across India.
Justice Khanna presided over the Supreme Court that granted interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, allowing him to campaign in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He was also part of the Constitution Bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir.
Justice Khanna is scheduled to retire on May 13, 2025.
