CJI Sanjiv Khanna’s short term lacked grandeur but delivered impactful judicial and administrative decisions. From case backlog reforms to transparency initiatives, his leadership left a firm imprint.
As Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud stepped down from office, he was given a warm farewell by his successor, Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
At the event, CJI Khanna said,
“He has made my task easy and difficult,” adding, “Easy because of the revolutions ushered in and tough because I cannot walk up to him.”
Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s two-year term as Chief Justice was a historic one. He brought a lot of attention and reform to the role of the Chief Justice of India and to the Supreme Court.
After him, CJI Sanjiv Khanna had only six months in office, but he used this short time efficiently. Before he became Chief Justice, many had said that he had a tough job ahead — to continue the strong legacy of his predecessor while also building his own identity as a leader.
Now that he has retired, it is clear that he handled both responsibilities well, even when the Court had to face difficult and sensitive issues.
When CJI Khanna took over, the Supreme Court had already been transformed technologically. However, he also faced big challenges.
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There were more than 82,000 pending cases and ongoing concerns about how transparent the court’s internal processes were — like how cases were listed, how Constitution Benches were formed, and how judges were appointed through the Collegium system.
CJI Khanna didn’t wait long to act. One of his first decisions was to temporarily stop regular case hearings to reduce the backlog of pending matters.
This decision received mixed reactions — some lawyers were not happy — but very soon, the number of case disposals increased.
This helped prove that the decision was effective. He also focused on fixing the irregular case listing system, which has been a long-standing complaint among lawyers.
Under his leadership, the Collegium appointed three new judges to the Supreme Court. One of them was Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who is expected to become Chief Justice of India in 2031.
The resolutions passed by the Collegium during his term focused more on ensuring regional diversity than any other factor, showing that geographical representation was given priority.
Many lawyers describe CJI Khanna as a very serious and rule-following judge. He is often seen as someone who always sticks to legal procedures and frameworks.
His image as a ‘by-the-book’ judge was strengthened during his previous role as a puisne (junior) judge. At that time, he gave very detailed and clear judgments, like the one that supported the use of VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) in elections, and another major ruling that struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme.
However, his work also showed that he was not rigid. There were moments when he used his discretion beyond the black-and-white words of the law.
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For example, in 2023, he was part of a Bench that used Article 142 of the Constitution to grant divorce in a case where the marriage had completely broken down.
This reason for divorce is not listed under the Hindu Marriage Act, but the Bench still gave relief in the interest of justice.
Later, when he became Chief Justice, he gave a majority opinion saying that courts can slightly modify arbitration awards, even though the Arbitration Act doesn’t mention this directly.
CJI Khanna’s tenure may also be remembered for how calmly and fairly he dealt with religious and sensitive matters.
When the Places of Worship Act was challenged again in court, he stopped the filing of new petitions. This showed that the court did not want to act in a way that could increase religious tensions.
Similarly, while hearing challenges to the 2025 Waqf Amendment Act, he ensured that the Union Government gave a commitment not to remove the status of existing waqf properties until the next court hearing.
This move led to a controversial reaction from a Member of Parliament who belonged to the ruling party. That MP publicly blamed the CJI and said he would be “responsible for civil wars.”
Despite such harsh words, the court chose not to react strongly. A plea was filed asking for contempt of court proceedings against the MP, but the Bench led by CJI Khanna rejected the request.
They simply said, “courts are not as fragile as flowers.” This showed the Court’s maturity and calm approach to political attacks.
Another big event during his term was the controversy involving Justice Yashwant Varma. Large amounts of unaccounted cash were found at his residence.
CJI Khanna acted quickly and began an in-house investigation. As reported, he also wrote letters to both the President and the Prime Minister after Justice Varma refused to resign when given the opportunity. This showed how serious he was about maintaining accountability and discipline in the judiciary.
CJI Khanna also took steps to make the Supreme Court more transparent, especially in response to criticism that the judiciary is not accountable enough.
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Just a few days before his retirement, the Supreme Court made a major disclosure by releasing documents that showed how the Collegium selects judges.
They even published a detailed table listing the names of all the judges who were recommended for High Court appointments by both the Chandrachud and Khanna Collegiums.
On 1 April, during a full-court meeting led by CJI Khanna, the judges decided that they would start declaring their personal assets. As a follow-up to that decision, on 5 May, the Supreme Court uploaded asset declarations of 21 out of 33 judges.
Even though his term was short, CJI Khanna has left a lasting impression. It’s not always about bringing major changes in a short time.
Sometimes, the most important thing a Chief Justice can do is bring stability, act wisely, and take small but strong steps to solve big problems.
Looking back, it can be said that Justice Sanjiv Khanna has left the Supreme Court in a better position — more stable, more transparent, and more resilient than before.
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