Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna bid farewell to his colleagues at the Supreme Court this morning as he passed on the baton to Justice BR Gavai. Addressing a ceremonial bench on the day of his retirement, the Chief Justice struggled to find words to express himself, but sent a clear message praising his successor.
CJI Khanna said public trust cannot be commanded; it has to be earned, and that the Supreme Court has done it.
"I am speechless. I carry a lot of memories. Once you are a lawyer, you remain a lawyer. The public trust that the judiciary has cannot be commanded and has to be earned. Judiciary is a common term that represents the Bench and the Bar. Bar is the conscience keeper," he told the ceremonial bench, which was called to honour his legacy.
The Chief Justice said that judges come to the Supreme Court from different backgrounds, and that diversity helps judicial decision-making.
Talking about his successor, he said Justice BR Gavai has been his "biggest support". "In him, you will have a great CJI. He will uphold the fundamental rights and liberty," said CJI Khanna.
Speaking to reporters later in the day, he refused to be compared to his uncle, Justice HR Khanna, who had served as a judge in the Supreme Court during the tumultuous period of 1971-1977. "I can't compare myself with HR Khanna. Those times were different. He was a person with a huge intellect," said the CJI.
This marks the end of 20 years of judgeship for Justice Khanna, who was first made an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005. A year later, he became a permanent judge. He was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019 and became the Chief Justice last November.
In the last six years at the top court, Justice Khanna was part of several landmark judgments that included Article 370, decriminalisation of adultery, the electoral bonds scheme, and the EVM-VVPAT tally case.
Justice BR Gavai will take the oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India tomorrow.
