A justice-server

• Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the 51st Chief Justice of India, takes over from his uncle, Justice Hans Raj Khanna, who sacrificed his Chief Justiceship in 1977 to uphold personal liberty and rule of law.
• Khanna defied the Indira Gandhi government in the ADM Jabalpur case, championing the right of citizens to challenge preventive detention without due process.
• Khanna is known for his low-profile and strict approach, often shunting the limelight and not giving bytes to the media.
• Khanna was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2019 over 32 judges of the High Courts senior to him.
• His early career included practice in the district courts of the national capital, covering various fields including constitutional, direct taxation, arbitration, commercial, company, land and environmental laws.
• His experience as a Supreme Court judge was varied, including hearing allegations of sexual harassment and refusing to intervene in a case against the elevation of Madras High Court judge, Justice Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri.
• As Chief Justice, Khanna is expected to embody Harold Laski’s words of farewell, emphasizing the importance of serving justice and the community’s conscience.