The Central Government has appointed Justice (Retd) Yogesh Khanna, former Judge of the Delhi High Court and Judicial Member of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), as the officiating Chairperson of the appellate tribunal.
He will head the NCLAT following the completion of the tenure of Justice (Retd) Ashok Bhushan on July 4, 2026, and will discharge the functions of the office until a regular Chairperson is appointed.
The appointment was notified through a Gazette Notification dated July 8, 2026, by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) under Rule 7 of the Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2021. Justice Khanna will hold charge with effect from July 5, 2026, for a period of three months, or until the appointment of a regular Chairperson or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The appointment comes at a significant juncture for the NCLAT, the statutory appellate forum that adjudicates appeals against orders passed by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) under the Companies Act, 2013 and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
The tribunal also exercises appellate jurisdiction over decisions of the Competition Commission of India under the Competition Act and other matters assigned under corporate and commercial laws.
As an officiating Chairperson, Justice Khanna will oversee the judicial and administrative functioning of the tribunal, including case management, constitution of Benches and expeditious disposal of pending appeals involving insolvency resolution, liquidation proceedings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, oppression and mismanagement, and other commercial disputes.
Justice Khanna began his legal career in 1986 after obtaining his LL.B. from the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, and practised before the District Courts in Delhi. He was inducted into the Delhi Higher Judicial Service in 2000 and served as District Judge of the North-West District at Rohini Courts. During his judicial tenure, he presided over several high-profile criminal and civil matters, including proceedings in the 2012 Nirbhaya case.
He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court before being appointed a Permanent Judge on November 8, 2016. During his tenure on the High Court, he dealt with a broad spectrum of constitutional, civil, commercial and criminal litigation, delivering judgments on complex questions of law involving commercial transactions, financial fraud, intellectual property rights, arbitration and other significant legal issues.
He retired on December 30, 2023, upon attaining the age of superannuation and was subsequently appointed as a Judicial Member of the NCLAT.
Justice Khanna’s appointment is expected to ensure continuity in the tribunal’s functioning at a time when the NCLAT is dealing with an increasing number of appeals arising from corporate insolvency resolution processes and other high-value commercial disputes. His extensive judicial experience is likely to strengthen the tribunal’s adjudicatory process by ensuring consistency in the interpretation of company law, insolvency jurisprudence and allied corporate legislation.
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