January 18, 2019:

On Friday, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Khanna were sworn-in as Supreme Court judges.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi administered the oath of office to Justice Maheshwari and Justice Khanna during the swearing-in ceremony held in court number 1 of the Apex Court.

The sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court is 31. With the swearing-in of Justices Maheshwari and Khanna, the strength has now gone up to 28.

While Justice Maheshwari was the chief justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Khanna was a judge in the Delhi High Court.

The Govt. had on Wednesday notified the appointment of justices Maheshwari and Khanna as judges of the apex court.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna of Delhi High Court has earlier quoted saying, “It (elevation as a Supreme Court Judge) has come as a big surprise and I am still dazed."

Sharing the “principle of his life”, Justice Khanna said that he always avoided “fault finding” and remained positive throughout his life.

He stated that 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.

He stated, "In the cradle of the Bar, I found my family."

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.

He explained, “Enthusiasm is not a virtue of a Judge. Fair, impartial justice” requires a Judge to resolve a dispute sans bias, prejudice or outside influence, keeping in mind the facts of the case."

Making a confession he said, “Sometime it is frightful and defenseless to be a judge.”

He recited an excerpt from one of Robert Frost’s most popular works at his farewell from the Delhi High Court.

“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.”

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