Justice Sanjiv Khanna, set to become India’s 51st Chief Justice on November 11, initially faced family expectations to pursue a career as a Chartered Accountant. Inspired by his uncle, Justice HR Khanna, he embraced law, preserving his uncle’s notes and judgments as a tribute. Justice Khanna’s journey highlights a commitment to family legacy and judicial ideals.
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New Delhi: Senior Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjiv Khanna will soon take oath as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) on November 11. Interestingly, his path to the highest judicial post was not the one his family envisioned. “His parents wanted him to become a Chartered Accountant,” a source close to Justice Khanna shared, noting their belief that “a legal career was full of challenges and hardship.”
However, Sanjiv Khanna was deeply inspired by his uncle, the renowned Supreme Court Justice HR Khanna, who became his ideal and guiding figure in the field of law. “He always considered his uncle an ideal and used to keenly follow his work,” the source said. Justice HR Khanna is widely remembered for his integrity and strength, exemplified by his stance in the 1976 ADM Jabalpur vs Shivkant Shukla case (known as the habeas corpus case), where he stood against the government’s decision to suspend civil liberties during the Emergency. His dissenting opinion remains a cornerstone in the history of Indian judicial integrity.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s connection to his uncle goes beyond admiration for his judgments; he has preserved all of Justice HR Khanna’s judgments, notes, and registers. “Justice Sanjiv Khanna wants to donate these valuable materials to the Supreme Court library once he retires,” sources shared.
Starting his Supreme Court tenure in 2019, Justice Sanjiv Khanna began his journey in the same courtroom where his uncle once presided. While Justice HR Khanna’s portrait adorns that room, Justice Sanjiv Khanna has yet to take his photograph there, planning to do so before his retirement on May 13, 2025.
Read Also: [Landmark ADM Jabalpur Case] A Shared Legacy of CJI Chandrachud & Justice Sanjiv Khanna
Justice Khanna’s parents also held prestigious roles. His mother, Saroj Khanna, was a lecturer at Lady Shri Ram College, while his father, Devraj Khanna, was a lawyer and eventually a judge at the Delhi High Court. A legacy of judicial service runs deep in his family, and his uncle’s notable stance against the Emergency only strengthened Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s resolve to uphold principles of justice and integrity.
In 1977, after Justice HR Khanna was passed over for the position of Chief Justice of India in favor of Justice MH Beg, he resigned—a decision rooted in his steadfast dedication to justice over conformity. Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s assumption of the role of Chief Justice of India symbolizes not only a personal achievement but also the continuation of an unwavering legacy within the Indian judiciary.
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