Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 17
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has recommended the name of Justice Sanjiv Khanna — the senior-most judge of the Supreme court — to the Central Government for appointment as the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of India and his successor.
Setting in motion the process for appointing his successor, the government had last month formally requested CJI Chandrachud to name his successor. Justice 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.
The CJI followed the convention of 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.
CJI Chandrachud is set to demit office on November 10. Justice Khanna will have a tenure of little over six months before he retires on May 13, 2025. He will be the 51st CJI.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna began his law practice 1983 in the areas of taxation, arbitration, commercial and environmental matters among other things. Justice Khanna was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005 and was made permanent judge one year later.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court on January 18, 2019.
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.
