NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has recommended to the Central Government the name of Justice Sanjiv Khanna — the senior-most judge of the Supreme court — for appointment as the next CJI.
Setting in motion the process for appointing his successor, the government had last month formally requested CJI Chandrachud to name his successor.
CJI Chandrachud on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Central government recommending Justice Khanna’s name as the next CJI in terms of the Memorandum of Procedure on appointment of Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court judges.
Justice Khanna will succeed Justice Chandrachud who is set to retire on November 10 after a two-year stint as the CJI.
He has been a part of many Constitution Bench verdicts, including the ones upholding the abrogation of Article 370 and scrapping of the electoral bonds scheme.
Appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on January 18, 2019,Justice Khanna will have a six-month tenure as the CJI. He will retire on May 13, 2025.
There has been a convention of the CJI recommending the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court as his successor. Only twice, it was not followed – Justice AN Ray was appointed the CJI on April 25, 1973 superseding three senior-most judges and Justice MH Beg was appointed the CJI on January 29, 1977 superseding Justice HR Khanna.
As per convention, after recommending the name of his successor, CJI Chandrachud can’t hold Collegium meetings to clear names for appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges.
Born on 14th May, 1960, Justice Khanna got enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983 and initially practised in the District Courts at the Tis Hazari complex, Delhi, and later in the High Court of Delhi and tribunals in fields as diverse as constitutional law, direct taxation, arbitration, commercial law, company law, land law, environmental law and medical negligence.
He was appointed as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005 and was made a permanent judge in 2006. As a judge of the Delhi High Court, he held the position of Chairman/Judge-in-charge, Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi International Arbitration Centre and the District Court Mediation Centres. He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court on January 18, 2019. He is known to be an expert in taxation matters.
He also held the post of Chairman, Supreme Court Legal Service Committee, from 17th June 2023 till 25th December 2023.He is presently the Executive Chairman of National Legal Services Authority and a member of the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.