Supreme Court judge, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, took oath as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday (November 11, 2024) and said the core principles of the judiciary is to provide equal treatment, fair opportunity at justice to all and unbiased adjudication to all, regardless of status, wealth or power.
Chief Justice Khanna, in an official statement released by the Supreme Court, said judges had a “constitutional duty to ensure easy access to justice to all citizens of our great nation”.
“Judiciary is an integral, yet distinct and independent part of the governance system. The Constitution trusts upon us the role of constitutional guardian, protector of fundamental rights, and responsibility to fulfil the important task of being service provider of justice,” Chief Justice Khanna stated.
He underscored the judiciary’s commitment and responsibility as “protectors of citizens’ rights and dispute resolvers”.
The Chief Justice identified his top priorities as making judgments comprehensible to the citizens, promotion of mediation, adoption of focused reforms in criminal case management like reducing trial duration and efforts to make litigation less gruelling.
He termed the judiciary the “third wing of democracy”.
Chief Justice Khanna was administered the oath of office by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The short but impressive ceremony saw Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ministers, former Chief Justices of India, sitting and retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts in attendance.
Six-month tenure
Justice Khanna succeeds Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, and is scheduled to retire on May 13, 2025.
After being sworn in, Chief Justice Khanna acknowledged the gathered audience before travelling the short distance to the Supreme Court to hear the 47 cases listed at Court One – as the Chief Justice’s court is called.
Next door, in court two, where he had presided for months before his appointment as the Chief Justice, hangs the life-size portrait of his uncle, the legendary Justice H.R. Khanna, whose championing of personal liberty during the dark days of Emergency in 1977 cost him his Chief Justiceship of India. The story of the elder Justice Khanna still resonates as activists and citizens booked under draconian laws struggle for bail.
The Chief Justice, in the statement, identified case backlogs, making litigation affordable and accessible, and the need for simplifying complex legal procedures as the key challenges ahead of him during his six-month tenure.
Citizen-centric agenda
Chief Justice Khanna outlined his vision of a “citizen-centric agenda” in which courts were approachable and user-friendly. The CJI said he aimed to adopt a self-evaluative approach, receptive and responsive to feedback, in its working.
The Khanna Collegium would have two immediate vacancies to fill in the Supreme Court. It would be seen if he would replace Justice Hima Kohli, who retired recently, with another woman judge. The Collegium would have to fill the vacancy left by Justice . Chandrachud too. Two more judges, Justices Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar, would be retiring in January 2025.
It also needs to be seen if Chief Justice Khanna would constitute Constitution Benches to hear seminal issues like the government’s use of the Money Bill route to pass contentious amendments in laws like the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in Parliament.
Another reference, triggered from the Sabarimala temple entry for women case, on the question whether certain essential religious practices of various faiths should be constitutionally protected, has been pending for long.
As Chief Justice and master of roster, Chief Justice Khanna would have to allocate cases, including sensitive ones dealing with urgent pleas for bail, to individual Benches of the court. The allocation of cases and choice of Benches have seen consistent criticism through the tenures of past Chief Justices.
Published - November 11, 2024 02:50 pm IST
