My elevation to Supreme Court has come as a big surprise, Justice Sanjiv Khanna

“It (elevation as a Supreme Court Judge) has come as a big surprise and I am still dazed”, said Justice Sanjiv Khanna of Delhi High Court, who is set to take oath as a Supreme Court judge tomorrow..He was speaking at a Full Court Reference held in Delhi High Court today, to bid him farewell. The ceremony was attended by Judges of the High Court, Senior members of the Bar, Justice Khanna’s family and several others..The last time the High Court witnessed such a jam-packed gathering was when it bid farewell to the then Acting Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice Gita Mittal..Delhi High Court is my karma bhoomi, Justice Gita Mittal bids farewell.Sharing the “principle of his life”, Justice Khanna said that he always avoided “fault finding” and remained positive throughout his life..One must compete with oneself, and not one’s colleagues, he remarked while he acknowledged that “there is always some room for improvement”..Justice Khanna who started his legal career as a lawyer, also recollected his days at the Bar..“In the cradle of the Bar, I found my family”, he stated..He also confessed that his name was re-considered several times before he was finally appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in 2005, but he has “no regrets”..As a judge, Khanna said, his philosophy is to be a “keeper of law” and not create law..“Enthusiasm is not a virtue of a Judge.”, he said..“Fair, impartial justice” requires a Judge to resolve a dispute sans bias, prejudice or outside influence, keeping in mind the facts of the case, Justice Khanna explained..Justice Khanna also took the opportunity to speak on the three problems in the legal system – delay in disposal of cases, high cost of litigation and the impression that without “falsehood” a case cannot be won..In the end, Justice Khanna confessed,.“Sometime it is frightful and defenseless to be a judge.”.He concluded his address by reciting an excerpt from one of Robert Frost’s most popular works, which he stated Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru kept next to his pillow..“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep,.And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”.The welcome address was given by Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice Rajendra Menon who extended his “warmest congratulations” to Justice Khanna on his elevation..Justice Khanna is hardworking, sincere in all endeavors and a gentleman par excellence, Justice Menon stated as he remarked that Justice Khanna and Justice S Ravindra Bhat were his pillars of strength..Referring to Justice Khanna as a “tax guru”, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Acharya stated in her address that Justice Khanna would be best remembered for his “command over taxation and contribution to the evolution of tax law”..Standing Counsel for Delhi Government, Rahul Mehra hoped that Justice Khanna would carry forward the legacy of his uncle, Justice HR Khanna. Chairperson of Bar Council of Delhi, KC Mittal said that it was a moment of pride that a judge from the Delhi High Court will become the Chief Justice of India for the third time..Mittal also spoke on the “feeling that senior judges should have been given their due”. Stating that the Collegium system should be transparent, accountable and objective, Mittal said that it is high time to streamline the system to obviate any kind of grievance or discomfort..President of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, Kirti Uppal lightened the mood of the gathering as he exclaimed that Justice Khanna reminded him of cricketer Rahul Dravid..“Consistent, never showed any emotions!”, Uppal said..He further remarked that the word “prejudice” was not in Justice Khanna’s dictionary..Pursuant to a Collegium Resolution passed on January 10, Justice Khanna was appointed Supreme Court Judge by the Centre on January 16. Since there were strong indications that the Collegium had decided on December 12 last year to elevate Justices Rajendra Menon and Pradeep Nandrajog to the Supreme Court, Justice Khanna’s elevation resulted in a huge controversy with several former Judges questioning the reasons behind the supersession..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.