Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar was sworn in as the chief justice of India on Wednesday by President Pranab Mukherjee. He took his oath at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

Khehar succeeds TS Thakur as the 44th chief justice of India. Justice Thakur had formally recommended Justice Khehar’s name for the post on December 6. He will serve as the 44th CJI for eight months till he retires on August 27.

Justice Khehar was part of the Supreme Court Constitution bench that had set aside the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act for the appointment of judges. He was appointed the new executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority in November.

On December 30, the Supreme Court had rejected a petition filed by a lawyers’ body that had sought a stay on Khehar’s appointment as the next chief justice of India. The National Lawyers’ Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms had filed a writ petition seeking Justice J Chelameshwar’s appointment as the next chief justice on the basis of his seniority.