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Chief Justice Of India
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will sit in a special vacation bench on December 22 to hear some urgent matters that require immediate judicial intervention. According to the cause list uploaded on the apex court's website, CJI Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, will sit in the vacation bench at 11 am to hear 17 matters, which include several criminal and civil cases. A statement issued by the apex court said, The Chief Justice of India has constituted a Special Vacation Bench to hear urgent matters during the ongoing court vacation. The Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, is scheduled to sit on Monday, December 22, 2025, to take up urgent matters for hearing. The special sitting has been arranged to ensure timely consideration of pressing cases that require immediate judicial intervention during the vacation period, it said. On Friday, CJI Kant said he was willing to sit on December 22, the first day of the Christmas and New Ye
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday said that he is willing to sit on December 22, the first day of Christmas and New Year holidays of the Supreme Court, for hearing urgent matters. A bench led by CJI Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, which was hearing listing of urgent matters, said the apex court registry will verify the urgency of cases and list them accordingly. "We will sit on Monday. We are not going to burden other Supreme Court judges, who have to study case files late at night to hear new cases. I will not bother any other bench," the CJI said, adding that the registry will find out the urgency and list the matter. CJI Kant added, "We are not sure whether one or two benches will sit, it will all depend on the number of cases. We will pass appropriate orders (for constitution of bench)." The CJI-led bench also asked the junior lawyers, who were mentioning the matters for urgent listing, to argue their cases on December 22. "We will
Former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Saturday said he faced criticism from his own community for stating in a judgement that the creamy layer principle should be applied to reservation for the Scheduled Castes. In Dr B R Ambedkar's view, affirmative action was like providing a bicycle to someone who is lagging behind, he said, asking whether Ambedkar thought that such a person should never give up the bicycle. Ambedkar did not think so, he claimed. Gavai, who retired as CJI recently, was delivering a lecture on "Role of Affirmative Action in Promoting Equal Opportunity" at Mumbai University. Paying tributes to Ambedkar on his death anniversary, Gavai said the iconic leader was the architect of not only the Indian Constitution but also of the affirmative action enshrined in it. "Babasaheb, in so far affirmative action is concerned, was of view that it is like providing a cycle to those who are lagging behind....suppose somebody is at tenth km and somebody at zero, he (the ...
Sending a "strong message" that the Supreme Court is meant for the common man, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said a predictable timeline and a unified national judicial policy-based early decision of pending cases would be his priority. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, the CJI referred to access to justice, and said his priority is to ensure how to reduce the cost of litigation, and how to prescribe a reasonable timeline within which matters are decided. Asked about the independence of judiciary, Justice Kant referred to the constitutional philosophy of separation of powers, and said the Constitution has beautifully defined the respective roles of the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive, while ensuring that there is no overlapping. "My first priority will be a predictable timeline and a unified national judicial policy-based early decision of the pending cases. I am not saying elimination of all the arrears. That will never happen. Th
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday said judges need recreational activities to recharge themselves as they have long working hours and the nature of their work is very stressful. Speaking to the media at the opening ceremony of the All India Judges Badminton Championship, the CJI said judges should participate in recreational activities that suit their age. "The working hours of judges are long and the nature of (their) work is very stressful. Sitting hours are long. All judges should participate in a recreational activity and make it a habit. Recreation is needed to recharge them. "High Court judges are participating in this event in large numbers. It shows that they are conscious about their health and well-being," CJI Kant said. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union minister Kiren Rijiju, and apex court judges were present at the ceremony. The two-day championship is being held at the Thyagraj Sports Complex here. The closing ceremony and prize distribution wi
The Bar occupies an indispensable place in fortifying the rule of law and upholding the sanctity of the Constitution, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Wednesday while also stressing its importance in providing legal aid to the vulnerable and the marginalised. Addressing a gathering at a Constitution Day function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, the CJI said the judiciary has repeatedly acknowledged the invaluable role of the Bar in safeguarding its virtues. "When we celebrate the pivotal moment when the people of India gifted unto themselves their most fundamental covenant, I stand before you and must emphasise that the Bar occupies an indispensable place in fortifying the rule of law and upholding the sanctity of our Constitution... "I do not hesitate in saying that if the courts are regarded as the sentinel of the Constitution, then the members of the Bar are the torchbearers who illuminate our path. They help us discharge our solemn duty with clarity and .
On the first day as the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, Monday set a new procedural norm that mentioning cases for urgent listing must be made in writing, and oral requests will be entertained under "extraordinary circumstances" like in cases of death penalty and personal liberty. A bench led by Justice Kant heard as many as 17 cases in proceedings spanning around two hours on his first day as the CJI. Justice Kant formally assumed charge as the 53rd CJI shortly after taking oath in Hindi in the name of God at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Arriving at the Supreme Court for the first time as CJI in the forenoon, he paid floral tributes at the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar on the court premises. He then presided over a three-judge bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Atul S Chandurkar, in the heritage courtroom number one. As proceedings commenced around noon, the CJI pronounced a judgment on a plea filed by Himachal Pradesh against a private ...
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said Justice Surya Kant's elevation to the post of Chief Justice of India comes at a critical juncture for the justice system, and expressed confidence that under his leadership, constitutional values, and public trust in the rule of law will be further reinforced. Justice Kant, who has been part of several landmark verdicts, including on abrogation of Article 370 removing Jammu and Kashmir's special status, took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday. He succeeded Justice B R Gavai. "Extending my warm wishes to Justice Surya Kant on taking oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India. His elevation marks the beginning of a 14-month tenure at a critical juncture for our justice system," Kharge said on X. "I am confident that under his leadership, Constitutional values, institutional strength, and public trust in the rule of law will be further reinforced, advancing the promise of justice for every citizen," the Congress chief ...
Justice Surya Kant, who took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday, has been part of several key verdicts, including orders on Presidential Reference on removing timelines for governors, abrogation of Article 370, Bihar electoral roll revision, the Pegasus spyware case, free speech, and citizenship rights. Coming from a middle-class family in Haryana's Hisar district, CJI Kant started his professional journey as a small-town lawyer before reaching the pinnacle of the Indian judiciary. He took oath in Hindi in the name of God, and will remain in charge for nearly 15 months, till demitting office on February 9, 2027, on attaining the age of 65. Delineating his top two priorities as the head of the judiciary, CJI Kant recently told the media that dealing with a huge backlog of more than five crore cases across courts and promoting "game changer" mediation as an alternative mode of dispute resolution will be his two important goals. CJI Kant was recently part of a five-judg
CJI-designate Justice Surya Kant on Saturday said dealing with a huge backlog of over 5 crore cases across courts in the country and promoting "game changer" mediation as an alternative mode of dispute resolution will be his two top priorities as head of the judiciary. On online trolling of judges and judgements, he said these things never perturbed him. Fair criticism is always acceptable, he said. Justice Kant, who was appointed as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on October 30 by President Droupadi Murmu, will take the oath of office on November 24 to succeed Justice B R Gavai. In an informal chat with mediapersons at his official residence here, Justice Kant said, "My first and foremost challenge is arrears of cases. Today's scoreboard shows that the Supreme Court arrears crossed 90,000. I am not going into how it happened, who is responsible... maybe listing (of cases) has gone up." He said he will also seek reports from high courts about the pendency of cases there and i
Chief Justice of India (Designate) Justice Surya Kant on Saturday emphasised that the judiciary's role goes beyond settling disputes and must also focus on protecting the innocent. He asserted that the high courts must begin to envision their institutional growth much like a modern hospital's emergency services, ensuring swift, decisive and effective responses. Addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of the Jharkhand High Court, which coincided with the state's foundation day, Justice Kant recalled his first case, an urgent plea for visitation rights in a cross-border custody dispute involving two minor children.. "...Justice is not only about resolving disputes, but about protecting the innocent from being lost in the storms of circumstance," the Supreme Court Judge said. He noted that the parents were separated by national boundaries and years of litigation, but the most striking aspect was the quiet anguish of the children, caught between competing jurisdictions and uncertain
Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said on Saturday, while emphasising that it is the duty of judges and lawyers to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society. Addressing the inaugural function of a national conference on strengthening legal aid delivery mechanisms at the Supreme Court premises, Gavai said the true reward of the legal services movement does not lie in statistics or annual reports, but in the quiet gratitude and renewed faith of citizens who once felt invisible. "Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, and that our role, as judges, lawyers, and officers of the court, is to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society," Gavai said. The CJI noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence reaffirms the shared responsibility of the legislature, the executive, and the ...
Judiciary has been a steady guardian of the rule of law, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said on Saturday while emphasising that the apex court has ensured it does not interfere in the policy matters of economic considerations unless there is a violation of fundamental rights or other provisions of the Constitution. Speaking at the Sixth Full Meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts, he said in commercial and corporate matters, the apex court has been vigilant in ensuring transparency and integrity, rejecting attempts to misuse legal or corporate structures for fraudulent gain. "The Supreme Court has ensured that it does not interfere in the policy matters which have economic considerations involved unless there is a violation of fundamental rights or other provisions of the Constitution. "Similarly, the Court has reaffirmed that any interpretation of a commercial statute must be in consonance with the legislative intent while maintaining fairness and public
The Constitution has ensured the country remains strong and united while neighbouring nations are facing civil unrest and turmoil, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai said on Sunday. Speaking after inaugurating a court building in Mandangad taluka in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, the CJI expressed happiness that it has come up in an area that also contains Ambavde, the native village of the Constitution's chief architect and legendary social reformer Babasaheb Ambedkar. "The country has remained united and on the path of development in war and peace. We have seen internal Emergency as well but we have remained strong and united. It is because of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution, which sets us apart from neighbouring countries that are witnessing turmoil," Justice Gavai said. Civil unrest in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and most recently in Nepal have seen change in governments as well as large-scale distress to citizens due to rioting and arson. "In the last 22 years as a judge,