CJI BR Gavai recommends Justice Surya Kant as next Chief Justice of India

Once President Droupadi Murmu formally approves Kant's appointment, he will take over as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on November 24, and serve until February 9, 2027

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, who is set to retire on November 23, at the age of 65, has recommended Justice Surya Kant to be the next CJI, officially starting the process to choose his successor. The Law and Justice Ministry had recently asked him to suggest a name for the next CJI.

 

According to the existing set of rules for appointing judges, the senior-most Supreme Court judge who is fit for the position is recommended as the next CJI. In line with the rules, Justice Surya Kant, who is currently the senior-most judge after Justice Gavai, has been recommended.

 

 

Once President Droupadi Murmu formally approves Justice Surya Kant’s appointment, he will take over as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on November 24 and serve until February 9, 2027.

Who is Justice Surya Kant?

Justice Kant was born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, into a middle-class family. He completed his graduation from Government Post Graduate College, Hisar, in 1981, and earned his law degree in 1984 from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak.

 

He began his legal career the same year at the District Court in Hisar, and a year later, in 1985, moved to Chandigarh to practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Over the years, he built a strong reputation in constitutional, service, and civil law and represented several universities, boards, corporations, banks, and even the High Court.

 

On July 7, 2000, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana. The following year, in March 2001, he was designated a Senior Advocate. He held the post of Advocate General until January 9, 2004, when he was elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Ex-NALSA member takes top spot

Justice Kant was also part of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) from 2007 to 2011, and is a member of several committees of the Indian Law Institute, a body under the Supreme Court of India.

 

In 2011, he earned his Masters in Law from Kurukshetra University, securing First Class through distance education.

 

He became the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on October 5, 2018, and was later elevated to the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019. Currently, he also serves as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (since November 12, 2024).