Justice BR Gavai takes oath, becomes second Dalit Chief Justice of India

Justice Gavai, who was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna

Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office, officially appointing Justice Gavai to the country’s highest judicial position. He succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who demitted office on Tuesday after reaching the retirement age of 65.

 

Following the ceremony, Chief Justice Gavai was congratulated by President Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and several members of the Union Cabinet. Former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna was also present and extended his best wishes to his successor.

 

Chief Justice Gavai will hold the top post for a little over six months, with his retirement scheduled for November. His legal journey began in 1985 when he enrolled at the Bar and started practicing before the Bombay High Court. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in 2003 and became a permanent judge in 2005. In 2019, he was elevated to the Supreme Court.

 

During his tenure as a Supreme Court judge, Chief Justice Gavai has played a key role in several significant rulings. He was part of the bench that upheld the Centre’s 2016 demonetisation move and also contributed to the recent judgment that struck down the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional. He has authored nearly 300 judgments, including several from Constitution Benches dealing with vital issues of fundamental rights.

 

Justice Gavai is only the second Dalit to become Chief Justice of India, following Justice KG Balakrishnan. He comes from a background of public service—his father, RS Gavai, was a noted social activist, founder of the Republican Party of India (Gavai), and a former Governor of three Indian states. RS Gavai also served in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

 

Prominent voices from the legal community also welcomed his appointment. Senior advocate and Member of Parliament Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi praised Chief Justice Gavai as “one of the most pragmatic and result-oriented judges” he has seen.  “Very pleasant court ambiance, very firm grip on proceedings, great sense of humour, avoids 'Operation successful patient died' paradigms as far as possible and knows his law thoroughly... I wish he had a longer tenure,” Singhvi was quoted as saying by NDTV.

 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also described him as “humility personified,” adding, “Brilliant but humble. Holding the high constitutional office but grounded... He is intellectually independent and impartial to the core... He has an immense contribution in our jurisprudence in form of landmark judgments delivered in all branches of law.”

 

“He is unpretentious and unassuming despite being one of the finest judges the country has had so far,” Mehta said.  “His legal acumen is without any pompous display. He has been carrying forward the true legacy of Dr Ambedkar," he added.