Notable Judgments Issued by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna

INDIA's WEARING A NEW JUDGE:

The curtain is dropping on Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna as he steps down from his position on Tuesday, aged 65. His six-month tenure will come to an end, with Justice Gavai set to take the reins as the 52nd CJI.

In his time at India's supreme court, Khanna has handed down some groundbreaking decisions that have stirred up the Indian judicial system.

Landmark Verdicts

From scrapping the electoral bonds scheme to upholding the revocation of Article 370, Khanna's noted decisions suggest a justice unafraid to shake things up. Here's a taste of his legal magic:

Electoral Bonds Scheme: Who needs transparency when you can have secrecy? Khanna, in agreement with the majority, decided that denying voters knowledge of political party funding would pave the way for an unholy alliance of influence and shadowy dealings[1][2].
Article 370: Jammu & Kashmir is no longer a separate entity. In a concurring opinion, Khanna supported the scrapping of Article 370, asserting that our nation's original heartbeat did not have a permanent pulse[3].
RTI: Who needs transparency when you're a judge, right? Not exactly, according to Khanna. He threw his judicial weight behind Case-by-case disclosure of RTI requests to the Supreme Court, ensuring both judicial independence and transparency shine brightly[2].
Preferential Land Allotments: The preferential treatment was ended, fairly and squarely, as Khanna toppled the preferential allotment of land to housing societies of lawmakers, bureaucrats, judges, and military personnel[3].
Asset Disclosures and Collegium Records: In a world where trust is hard to come by, Khanna urged Supreme Court judges to demonstrate their honesty by disclosing their assets and committed himself to opening up the Collegium workings to public scrutiny[4][5].

The Big Gotchas

Of course, Khanna's tenure was not all gavel-slams and clenched fists. Some of his actions have ruffled some feathers:

BJP MP Remarks: When BJP MP Nishikant Dubey spouted off about Khanna and the judiciary, the man decided to handle it like a boss. The Bench, in its infinite wisdom, refrained from entertaining the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and called Dubey's comments "highly irresponsible"[1].
Interim Bail for Kejriwal: Arvind Kejriwal may have needed a break, but Khanna wasn't too keen on setting him free. In 2022, the interim bail granted to Kejriwal came with some serious conditions, including staying away from his office or secretariat[1].
Asked Kejriwal to Step Down: In the same breath, Khanna threw a curveball at Kejriwal when he politely asked him to consider stepping down from his position as CM. Not one to be shy, Khanna pulled no punches, encouraging Kejriwal to weigh the merits of his situation and take a hard look at himself[1].
ED Case: As a glass-half-full kinda guy, Khanna decided Kejriwal was entitled to a smidge of freedom during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He ordered Kejriwal's interim release from the money laundering case with a kind-of caveat. You know, because lawyers love a good loophole[1].

It's been an absurd and entertaining ride, folks. Here's to hoping Justice Gavai can keep the madness going!

(This article is sourced from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by our editorial staff. A loose cannon like Justice Khanna doesn't need us tampering with his wild ways.)

Bonus Insights:

Legal Thought Leader: As a forward-thinking legal scholar, Khanna also penned his ideas on various legal issues, contributing to the jurisprudential discourse in India.
Career Path: Beyond his role as CJI, Khanna has also served as a Judge at the Delhi High Court.
Education: Before his illustrious career, Khanna obtained his law degree from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. He enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983.
Specialization: Throughout his career, Khanna specialized in areas such as taxation, arbitration, commercial law, environmental law, medical negligence law, and company law.

In the realm of policy-and-legislation, Justice Sanjiv Khanna's tenure as Chief Justice of India has been marked by bold decisions, particularly in the area of taxation as he championed the end of preferential land allotments for housing societies and pressed for asset disclosures by Supreme Court judges. Moreover, his involvement in general-news events, such as his response to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's remarks about the judiciary, has demonstrated his strong stance on maintaining the integrity of the Indian judicial system.