Vikrant Shekhawat : Aug 29, 2024, 12:10 PM
Sanjiv Khanna: The Chief Justice of India, Justice Chandrachud, is set to retire in November this year. He was sworn in as the Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022 and has delivered several important judgements in his nearly two-year tenure, including the decisions on electoral bonds and other key cases. He will retire from his post on November 10, 2024, and at this time, the question arises as to who will become the next CJI after him.Justice Sanjiv Khanna: Appointment as next CJIAfter the retirement of Justice Chandrachud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna is likely to take over as the next CJI. He will take over as the 51st CJI of India on November 11, 2024. As per the Supreme Court tradition, the most senior judge is appointed as the Chief Justice. Under this tradition, Justice Sanjiv Khanna is the most senior at the moment. However, his tenure will be only six months, and he will retire in May 2025.Background of Justice Sanjiv KhannaJustice Sanjiv Khanna was born on 14 May 1960 in New Delhi. His father, Justice Dev Raj Khanna, retired as a judge of the Delhi High Court, while his mother, Mrs. Saroj Khanna, was a lecturer of Hindi at Lady Shriram College, Delhi University. Justice Khanna received his early education from Modern School, New Delhi and then graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University. He studied law from Campus Law Center (CLC) of Delhi University.Career and contribution in the Supreme CourtIn January 2019, Justice Sanjiv Khanna was promoted to the Supreme Court. His appointment to the Supreme Court was a controversial subject, as 33 other judges were senior to him in age and experience. However, after this controversy, the matter calmed down and Justice Khanna got his place. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, he was a judge in the Delhi High Court for 14 years and is known for his expertise in taxation and commercial laws.His contribution to the Supreme Court includes several important judgments, including the one heard in April 2024 on a petition seeking replacement of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with a bill for cross-verification of votes cast in electronic voting machines (EVMs).ConclusionThe appointment of Justice Sanjiv Khanna as the Chief Justice of India will be a turning point in the judicial system of the coming era. The direction of his tenure and the decisions taken by him will influence the direction of the Indian judiciary. After the retirement of Justice Chandrachud, a new path will be paved for the Indian Supreme Court under the leadership of Justice Khanna.