‘Won't accept any post-retirement post': CJI Khanna on his last day in office
Public trust in judiciary cannot be commanded but earned, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna said on Tuesday in his last message from the bench as he demitted office after a tenure of six months at the helm of the judiciary.
Addressing a ceremonial bench along with CJI-designate justice Bhushan R Gavai and justice Sanjay Kumar, Khanna reminded the members of the Bar that the lawyers are the conscience keepers of the institution and play an essential part in upholding the trust that people have in the institution.
Responding to the compliments showered on him from law officers, office bearers of bar associations and senior and junior members of the Bar, CJI Khanna said, 'The public trust that judiciary has cannot be commanded. It has to be earned.'
Speaking about his successor, Khanna said, 'You will have an excellent CJI in justice Gavai. I am confident that he is going to uphold fundamental rights, basic structure doctrine and liberty.' Incidentally, Khanna and Gavai got elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019.
Gavai described Khanna as a 'gentleman to the core in every sense' and said that it was nothing short of 'poetic justice' that justice HR Khanna, known for his golden dissent in the Emergency case in ADM Jabalpur, which made him lose the chair of Chief Justice of India, has come full circle with CJI Khanna, his nephew, completing his tenure as CJI.
The ADM Jabalpur case was given by a five-judge bench where the majority bench of four judges held that no writ against detention of a person will be maintainable with the declaration of Emergency. Justice HR Khanna had then dissented with the majority to rule that the State has no right to deprive any person of his right to life and liberty which is a sacrosanct right.
The memory of justice HR Khanna, who had resigned in protest after he was bypassed by a junior judge who was made CJI, reverberated in the courtroom hall of CJI on Tuesday on CJI Khanna's last day in office.
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said, 'justice HR Khanna would be really proud of you.' Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is President of Supreme Court Bar Association, told CJI that his entire career has been without a blemish and he has carried well the legacy of justice HR Khanna. His sense of clarity in every branch of law was appreciated by lawyers who spoke before the ceremonial bench.
Additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati said that during his tenure, CJI Khanna 'de-glamourised' the CJI's court but made the post look very professional. It was during the tenure of CJI Khanna, judiciary faced the most testing time with the discovery of cash at the residence of sitting high court judge, justice Yashwant Varma. The CJI had constituted a three-member judicial enquiry panel and had ultimately recommended the removal of the judge to the President and the Prime Minister after the charges were found to be true.
Justice Kumar, who used to be the bench companion of CJI Khanna for the past 10 months, even before he became CJI, shared some secrets about justice Khanna who has an excellent memory and his unending patience with lawyers. 'He does not make any notes. It all comes from his memory, whether it is page number, content, even to the extent of paragraph in the petition. But his memory never extended to the names of lawyers appearing in the case.'
CJI Khanna in his response speech said that he did not remember the name of lawyers as he would never see which lawyer is appearing in a case.
Interacting with media persons later in the day, CJI said, 'I will not accept any post-retirement post.' However, he indicated that he wished to do something with law.
Asked about what weighed with him while dealing with the case of justice Varma's cash at house episode, CJI said, 'Judicial thinking has to be decisive and adjudicatory. We see the plus and minuses and decide the issue rationally. When we do that, we are able to take a decision and the future then tells you, what you did was correct or not.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Governor-government row over ‘Bharat Mata' assumes a combative dimension
The stand-off between the Kerala Government and Raj Bhavan over the contentious use of the 'Bharat Mata' motif at functions attended by Governor Rajendra Arlekar showed scarce signs of easing on Thursday. Furthermore, it appeared to assume a combative dimension with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan notifying Raj Bhavan that only Constitutionally mandated national symbols were permissible at functions attended by the Governor. The arguably tense entanglement also seemed to escalate, with the Governor's office reportedly lodging a formal objection to General Education Minister V Sivankutty's 'protocol-breaching boycott' of an official event attended by Mr. Arlerkar, citing the placement of the 'Bharat Mata' motif at the venue. Officials said Raj Bhavan had also taken strong exception to the bedlam that broke out on Kerala University Senate Hall premises on Wednesday, where Students Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists protested Mr. Arlerkar's attendance at a function organised by a private trust to observe the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. Again, the positioning of a Bharat Mata picture, bearing a saffron flag and near a lion, on the stage emerged as the bone of contention. Officials said the Raj Bhavan communique appeared not to be a riposte to Mr. Vijayan's letter. They said the letter appeared to stand separate of the issue raised by Mr. Vijayan. The government had objected to Raj Bhavan's use of the Bharat Mata motif at official functions on the premise that it was a brazenly non-secular depiction of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) notion of a Hindu Rashtra. The Cabinet concluded that the Constitutionally mandated protocol set in stone forbids the use of such 'political and religious' iconography in State functions. The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) found itself in rare agreement with the government. It accused Raj Bhavan of 'superseding' national symbols, such as the national flag and the national anthem, by using images and rituals with political and religious overtones and objected to the 'unauthorised' practice of paying obeisance to the 'RSS's Bharat Mata portrait' at the Governor's public functions. Notably, All India Congress Committee General Secretary (Organisation), K.C. Venugopal, MP, petitioned the President of India against the position of the Kerala Raj Bhavan. Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan dug its heels in on its stated position that Bharat Mata was emblematic of a unified India and on par with other national symbols.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
UK's global trade outlook sees India as Asia's 'standout growth engine'
India is set to become the world's third-largest economy by 2028. A new trade deal between the UK and India gives British businesses an edge. The UK-India FTA aims to boost trade and economic growth. UK products will see tariff reductions, saving businesses millions. The deal is expected to increase bilateral trade significantly. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads As the "standout growth engine" in Asia, India is projected to be the third largest economy in the world by 2028, and the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) offer British businesses a "major advantage" over their international competitors, the UK's new trade strategy and outlook have 'UK's Trade Strategy' and an accompanying 'Global Trade Outlook 2025' released by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on Wednesday spotlights the trade deal with India, concluded early last month, as the centrepiece of the Labour government's approach to utilising FTAs as an important tool to meet its economic growth agenda."Asia is expected to benefit from standout growth from India and a new generation of fast-growing emerging markets," reads the outlook."Asia's centre of growth is expected to shift from China to India and other emerging markets, while Africa's demographic boom could drive high growth if job creation can keep pace with population growth," it the FTA, the trade strategy points out that the "comprehensive agreement" with India is reflective of the "transformative" impact that Free Trade Agreements can reads: "For example, the UK-India FTA is a landmark trade deal that will drive growth and boost trade with one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. As soon as the deal comes into force, UK products will benefit from a saving of up to an estimated GBP 400 million a year, from India cutting its tariffs on existing trade alone, which could increase to around GBP 900 million a year after staging over 10 years."And that's before factoring in the savings from speedier and easier trade from improved customs and digital commitments. This immediate relief represents a major advantage our businesses will enjoy over their international competitors."The trade strategy, which complements an Industrial Strategy released earlier this week, is aimed at setting a clear direction for the government's growth and job creation goals."What works for business, works for Britain. It means more jobs, more opportunities, and more money in people's pockets. That's why I've backed British industry through global headwinds - securing major trade deals with the US, India and the EU that protect jobs and drive growth right across the country," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer."Broad and complex trade deals like we secured with India will bring billions to our economy every year but to deliver the Plan for Change we will strike more agile, targeted deals that exploit the sectors which drive the most growth for our economy," added Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan strategy reiterates the "huge economic win" from the India FTA, which "slashes Indian tariffs on key products such as whisky, cosmetics and medical devices, locking in reductions on 90 per cent of tariff lines for UK exports to unleash opportunities for businesses across our regions and nations"."Furthermore, it delivers certainty for service suppliers, including non-discrimination commitments to support new opportunities. It delivers on our Plan for Change and is expected to increase bilateral trade by GBP 25.5 billion, increase UK GDP by GBP 4.8 billion, and boost wages by GBP 2.2 billion every year in the long run," the strategy India-UK deal is expected to be officially signed off at the end of next month following the obligatory parliamentary clearance in Britain."We in India have a much faster process, comparatively, so we'll be ready as soon as the legal scrubbing is done and the document is sorted out," Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had said during his UK visit last week to discuss the next steps in the FTA.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cong, NSUI slams BJP for politicising schools with Emergency circular
Panaji: Educational institutions and school students should not be used by BJP as a playground for political campaigns, said Congress . Congress party's student wing met the education director on Friday and demanded that the circular mandating schools to observe 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' be withdrawn. The National Students' Union of India ( NSUI ) said involving students in activities about the 1975-77 Emergency is 'inappropriate political engagement' and a distraction from education. 'Schools should remain neutral educational spaces. Involving students in politically sensitive discussions about the Emergency risks exposing them to biased narratives, which may hinder their objective learning and critical thinking,' said state NSUI president Naushad Chowdhari. The NSUI fears that govt will choose not to provide a balanced historical perspective on the Emergency. The students attempted to convince the education director to withdraw the circular. Police initially prevented the students from entering the building, but finally relented. '1975-77 was a challenging time marked by national security concerns and efforts to maintain stability. It included measures to curb inflation, boost agriculture, and enforce family planning, which some argue were necessary,' said Chowdhari. Congress said that schools should remain apolitical. 'Who is the BJP to talk about democracy when they have been destroying it since day one? We came to meet the education director but were stopped. Is it democracy when the director is preventing students from meeting him?' said a protesting student.
