Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna? CJI DY Chandrachud proposes senior Supreme Court judge as his successor

The letter is written as per convention where the retiring Chief Justice of India nominates the second-most senior judge a successor, whose recommendation has to be approved by the Union government. DY Chandrachud took over as the Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022, and his tenure as the CJI will end on November 10. Judges of the Supreme Court retire by the age of 65.

Speaking at an event in Bhutan on October 9, Chandrachud said his mind is heavily preoccupied with fears and anxieties about the future and the past and ponder over questions whether he achieved everything he set out to do and how will history judge his tenure.

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“Pardon me for being a little vulnerable. I will be demitting office as the Chief Justice of India in November this year, after having served my country for two years. As my tenure is coming to an end, my mind has been heavily preoccupied with fears and anxieties about the future and the past. I find myself pondering over questions such as: Did I achieve everything I set out to do? How will history judge my tenure? Could I have done things differently? What legacy will I leave for future generations of judges and legal professionals?,” he said.

He expressed a sense of content while reflecting on his two-year tenure and said he found solace in knowing that he consistently gave his best, regardless of the outcome.

Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna?

He enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983 and practiced at the district courts at the Tis Hazari complex. Later, he practised in the High Court of Delhi and tribunals.

Justice Khanna also served as the Senior Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department and became the Standing Counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 2004.

He also appeared as an Additional Public Prosecutor and an amicus curie in criminal cases at the Delhi High Court, later becoming an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005 and a permanent judge in 2006.

Justice Khanna also served in positions such as Chairman/Judge-in-charge, Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi International Arbitration Centre and the District Court Mediation Centres.

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On January 18, 2019, he was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court, even before becoming a Chief Justice of any High Court.

He is presently the Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority, and a member of the Governing Counsel of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.

In a case against a journalist over his remarks during a TV show, a bench headed by him said Article 19(1)(a) cannot be used for defeating the fundamental right guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

A bench he was part of also cleared the controversial Central Vista Project. He was also a part of Constitutional benches that upheld the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and struck down the electoral bonds scheme.

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