Justice Sanjiv Khanna Takes Oath as 51st Chief Justice of India, Outlines Citizen-Centric Agenda

Justice Sanjiv Khanna assumed the role of India’s 51st Chief Justice on November 11, 2024, emphasizing the judiciary’s commitment to equal treatment, fair justice for all, and unbiased adjudication regardless of status. He highlighted the judiciary’s constitutional duty to ensure accessible justice for all citizens, emphasizing its role as a guardian of fundamental rights and a provider of justice. Chief Justice Khanna outlined his priorities, including making judgments comprehensible, promoting mediation, reforming criminal case management to reduce trial duration, and making litigation less burdensome. He identified case backlogs, affordability, and simplification of legal procedures as key challenges during his six-month tenure. His vision includes a citizen-centric approach, making courts more approachable and user-friendly, and adopting a self-evaluative approach responsive to feedback. The Khanna Collegium faces immediate vacancies in the Supreme Court, including the potential appointment of another woman judge. The Chief Justice will also have to address pending constitutional issues like the government’s use of the Money Bill route and the constitutional protection of essential religious practices. His allocation of cases and choice of benches will be closely watched, as past Chief Justices have faced criticism for these decisions.