Who's Jagdish Singh Khehar, 1st Sikh CJI, now Padma awardee
What's the story
The first Sikh Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his contributions to the Indian judiciary. Notably, in March 2017, he had suggested an out-of-court settlement for the disputed Ayodhya matter and even offered to mediate if all parties agreed. The matter was finally settled by a five-judge bench headed by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi in November 2019.
Observation
Sensitive issues are best settled through negotiations: Khehar
The observation came in response to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's request for an early hearing on a civil dispute over the land where Hindu groups claim Lord Ram was born. A bench headed by Khehar then told Swamy that sensitive issues are best settled through negotiations. "If the parties want me to sit between mediators chosen by both sides for negotiations, I'm ready," he added, adding that if necessary, the court can appoint a primary negotiator to reach an agreement.
Judicial contributions
Khehar's role in restoring collegium system and privacy rights
Justice Khehar was also instrumental in restoring the Collegium system when he struck down the 99th Constitutional Amendment and the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act in 2015. He also headed a nine-judge Constitution Bench which declared the right to privacy a fundamental right on August 24, 2017. The verdict read, "The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21."
Career highlights
Khehar's involvement in triple talaq case and career milestones
In another landmark case, Justice Khehar was a part of five-judge Constitution Bench which heard the case of triple talaq. Though he was in the minority opinion, he had held triple talaq had been part of Muslim Personal Law for 1,400 years. Khehar was appointed as a Supreme Court judge on September 13, 2011. He was the 44th CJI from January 4, 2017 to August 27, 2017.
Personal profile
Khehar's educational background and legal journey
Born on August 28, 1952, Justice Khehar completed his graduation from Government College, Chandigarh. He also did his LLB and LLM from Panjab University. Before his SC appointment, he was the Acting Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court twice. He was also the Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court in November 2009 and Karnataka HC before being elevated to SC.