Justice Sanjiv Khanna Appointed Next Chief Justice Of India, Set To Take Oath On 11 November — What You Need To Know

Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been appointed the next Chief Justice of India by President Droupadi Murmu days after Chief Justice DY Chandrachud named him as his successor.

The oath ceremony is scheduled for 11 November, a day after Chief Justice Chandrachud retires from the position.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal took to X this evening to share the news of Justice Khanna's appointment.

"In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, Hon'ble President, after consultation with Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as Chief Justice of India with effect from 11th November, 2024," Meghwal's post read.

A brief profile of Justice Sanjiv Khanna

Justice Khanna, who enrolled as a lawyer with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983, began his career practicing at the district courts in Tis Hazari before moving on to the Delhi High Court and tribunals.

He served as Senior Standing Counsel for the Income Tax Department and was appointed Standing Counsel (Civil) for the National Capital Territory of Delhi in 2004, Indian Express reported.

Additionally, he handled several criminal cases as an Additional Public Prosecutor at the Delhi High Court. In 2005, Justice Khanna was elevated as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court and became a permanent judge the following year.

During his tenure at the Delhi High Court, he served as the Chairman/Judge-in-charge of the Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi International Arbitration Centre, and the District Court Mediation Centres.

On 18 January 2019, Justice Khanna was elevated to the Supreme Court, one of the few judges to do so without having previously served as Chief Justice of a High Court.

He has held significant positions, including Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee and Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority.

He is also a member of the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal. As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Khanna has played a crucial role in several landmark cases.

In one high-profile case, he was part of a bench that ruled on the limits of free speech, emphasising that Article 19(1)(a) cannot be used to infringe upon the fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 21, particularly the right of others to listen or not to listen.

Justice Khanna has also contributed to significant rulings, including delivering a dissenting opinion in the case involving the Central Vista redevelopment project and being part of constitutional bench decisions such as those related to the abrogation of Article 370 and the 2018 electoral bonds scheme.

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