Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India on 11 November 2024, following the retirement of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on 10 November 2024. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Justice Khanna, the senior-most puisne judge of the Supreme Court, will serve as Chief Justice until 13 May 2025, a tenure of approximately six months.
Background
The transition of the Chief Justiceship followed the established convention of seniority-based succession. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had recommended Justice Sanjiv Khanna as his successor in accordance with the Memorandum of Procedure governing judicial appointments.
Chief Justice Chandrachud's tenure, which commenced on 9 November 2022 and lasted two years, was marked by an extraordinary volume of Constitution Bench activity. During his tenure, the Supreme Court delivered over 36 Constitution Bench decisions — an unprecedented number for any single Chief Justice — including landmark rulings on electoral bonds, the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes, mineral rights and royalty, the Aligarh Muslim University minority status, Article 31C and private property, and the validity of madarsa education legislation. His final week on the Bench saw the delivery of several Constitution Bench judgments on 4-8 November 2024.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna had been a key member of several of these Constitution Benches, including the electoral bonds decision, and has a well-established jurisprudence in criminal law, constitutional law, and taxation matters.
Key Provisions
The following developments were associated with the transition:
Agenda priorities: Upon assuming office, the new Chief Justice indicated priorities including reducing pendency in the Supreme Court, strengthening judicial infrastructure at the district level, and streamlining the listing process for Constitution Bench matters.
Bench reconstitution: As is customary upon a change of Chief Justice, the composition of various benches of the Supreme Court was reorganised. The new roster allocations were published on the Supreme Court website.
Pending Constitution Bench references: Several Constitution Bench references that were constituted during the previous Chief Justice's tenure will need to be reconstituted or scheduled under the new dispensation, including matters relating to the Places of Worship Act, 1991 and other pending references.
Former CJI Chandrachud's legacy: The outgoing Chief Justice's tenure is notable for its emphasis on technology integration in the judiciary (e-filing, live streaming of Constitution Bench hearings, and digital court records) alongside the substantive Constitution Bench jurisprudence that addressed several long-pending constitutional questions.
Implications for Practitioners
The change of Chief Justice has immediate practical implications for Supreme Court practitioners. The reorganisation of benches affects matter listings, and lawyers with pending cases should consult the updated roster to identify the newly assigned benches for their matters.
The relatively short tenure of six months means that the window for new Constitution Bench references to be constituted and heard is limited. Practitioners with matters requiring Constitution Bench hearing should prioritise early listing applications. The disposition of pending Constitution Bench references from the previous tenure will be a key area to monitor.
The emphasis on pendency reduction may signal stricter enforcement of adjournment policies and a push toward faster disposal of regular matters. Practitioners should prepare for tighter scheduling and reduced tolerance for routine adjournment requests.