Chief Justice Recuses From Election Commission Appointment Case

CJI Sanjiv Khanna steps away from hearing challenges to a law that removed the judiciary from the election commissioners' selection panel.

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has recused himself from hearing petitions challenging the 2023 Election Commissioners' Act.
The law replaced the Chief Justice with a union minister on the panel responsible for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
The petitions, filed by opposition leaders and civil society groups, argue that the changes undermine transparency and judicial oversight in the selection process.
The Supreme Court has directed the central government and the Election Commission to submit their responses before hearings resume in January 2025 under a different bench.
The 2023 law replaced a 1991 act and introduced a new selection process led by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, a Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition.