Justice A M Khanwilkar retires from Supreme Court

Justice A M Khanwilkar retires from Supreme Court

He was elevated as a judge of the apex court in 2016

The Supreme Court Bar Association organized a function on July 29 in honor of Justice A M Khanwilkar, who retired as the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court.

Justice Khanwilkar thanked the Bar Association members for their love and affection towards him.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, said, "Ever since Justice Khanwilkar took over the chairmanship of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) in August 2021, he actively promoted the use of the technology in the functioning. He conceptualized and launched the SCLSC Online Portal to enable access to justice for all."

"I have benefitted a lot from his wisdom in the Collegium. His co-operation and insights have contributed significantly to the progress we made in filling the vacancies in the higher judiciary," he added.

Recalling his association with Justice Khanwilkar and terming him as a workaholic, Vikas Singh, the president and senior advocate, remarked, "It is always difficult for us when a judge retires. It is more difficult when a judge who has been part of us, retires. He has been a colleague. As members of the Bar, we used to share chambers in the same corridor in the Supreme Court. We saw him rise to become a High Court judge and then as the Supreme Court judge."

Singh also stressed the need to raise the retirement age for a Supreme Court judge from 65 years to 70 years.

Meanwhile, Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General, said, "We will really miss Justice Khanwilkar. We will miss the smile on his face. Everyone will agree with me that even while dismissing a petition, he would do it with a smile and never left the courtroom with bitterness".

Senior advocate Harish Salve said, "It has been an honor and pleasure knowing Justice Khanwilkar for almost four decades as a colleague and then appearing before him in a different avatar."

Justice Khanwilkar, who was elevated as the Apex Court Judge in May 2016, delivered several path-breaking judgments. He was part of the benches, which rendered many important verdicts during his almost six-years tenure.

During the past month, he delivered several important judgments, including the dismissal of a plea against the exoneration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots. He also upheld the wide powers of the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

In the past, Justice Khanwilkar took important decisions on stopping hate speeches and during the pandemic, considering the health of children, ensured that Board exams were not held.

Justice Khanwilkar was born on July 30, 1957, in Pune. After doing his LLB from a law college in Mumbai, in 1982, he was enrolled as an advocate and in 2000 appointed as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court.

He was appointed the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and later the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.