Chief Justices Of India

CJI Kant says no to oral mentioning of cases, hears 17 cases on first day

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 ...

Confident Justice Kant will reinforce constitutional values: Kharge

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 sworn-in as 53rd CJI: Key verdicts delivered by him

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

Hisar advocate to Chief Justice of India: The making of Justice Surya Kant

Justice Surya Kant is set to become the first person from Haryana to occupy India's highest judicial post on Monday. Bhavini Mishra takes a look at his journey

Chief Justice Gavai bids farewell to SC after four decades in judiciary

Overwhelmed by rich tributes on his last working day, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Friday said he was leaving the institution "with a full sense of satisfaction and contentment" and as a "student of justice" on concluding four decades of journey as a lawyer and a judge. In another farewell function held by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the evening, the 52nd CJI recalled the ire that he faced from his own community for one of his judgments in which it was held that the creamy layers among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) can also be denied the reservation benefits in admissions and jobs. "Being an ardent student of the Constitution, the virtues of equality, justice, liberty and fraternity were always close to my heart," he said. The CJI, who would demit office on November 23, a Sunday, justified his recent landmark verdict quashing key provisions of the 2021 Tribunals Reforms law saying independence of the judiciary is the basic structure of the ...

Administration of criminal justice 'most neglected sphere': Ex-CJI Lalit

Voicing concern over the dismal conviction rate, former Chief Justice of India U U Lalit on Sunday said the administration of criminal justice is the most neglected sphere in the government apparatus and favoured separating the investigative wing of police from the rest of the force involved in normal law and order duties. The former CJI, batting for reforms to prevent the abuse of criminal laws and ensure that no innocent is prosecuted, said he would not like his daughters to live in an environment where there was even the slightest chance of laws being misused. Addressing a conference organised by the Ekam Nyaay Foundation, Lalit said that as a lawyer, judge and professor of law for the last 42 years, he had observed that in the country's criminal jurisprudence and the way it was administered, "the administration of criminal justice is perhaps the most neglected sphere in the apparatus of government". He said that police officers or investigators did not have the kind of ...

Govt begins process to appoint new CJI as Justice BR Gavai nears retirement

Traditionally, the outgoing CJI receives the request for recommendation about a month before demitting office upon reaching the age of 65

AG allows contempt action against lawyer for throwing shoe at CJI Gavai

Attorney General R Venkataramani grants consent for criminal contempt proceedings against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who threw a shoe at CJI B R Gavai inside the Supreme Court

Caste, power, and pain: When even privilege can't guarantee dignity

Education, reservations, and govt jobs are meant to bring equality and dignity. That we are a long way from it is evident in the shoe thrown at the CJI and the suicide of Haryana IPS officer

Delhi Police release lawyer who tried to attack CJI Gavai in Supreme Court

According to a Delhi police official, they released Kishore after the Supreme Court registry refused to press any charges against the septuagenarian

Lawyer tries to hurl shoe at CJI in courtroom; PM condemns incident

In its suspension notice, the BCI said that Kishore's conduct was "inconsistent" with the council's rules and the dignity of the court, and therefore he was being suspended immediately

George Bush to Manmohan Singh: When shoes were hurled at prominent figures

Following the shoe-throwing attempt at CJI BR Gavai, here's a look at other similar incidents involving public figures

SC regains full strength as CJI Gavai administers oath to two new judges

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Friday administered oath to Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi. The two were elevated to the Supreme Court on August 27. With their elevation, the apex court is set to regain its full working strength of 34 judges, including the CJI. Justice Pancholi will be in line to become the CJI in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi's retirement on October 2, 2031. He is scheduled to assume the CJI's office on October 3, 2031, and retire on May 27, 2033. On August 25, the apex court collegium recommended to the Centre the names of Justices Aradhe and Pancholi for elevation as top court judges. Collegium member and Supreme Court's Justice B V Nagarathna, however, registered a strong dissent to the apex court collegium's recommendation to elevate Justice Pancholi to the top court, saying his appointment would be "counter-productive" to the judiciary. Justice Nagarathna, the only wom

CJI B R Gavai to swear in new Supreme Court judges on August 29

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai will on Friday administer oath to Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi who were elevated to the Supreme Court on August 27. With their elevation, the apex court is set to regain its full working strength of 34 judges, including the CJI. Justice Pancholi will be in line to become the CJI in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi's retirement on October 2, 2031. He would assume the CJI's office on October 3, 2031, and retire on May 27, 2033. On August 25, the apex court collegium recommended to the Centre the names of Justices Aradhe and Pancholi for elevation as top court judges. Collegium member and Supreme Court's Justice B V Nagarathna, however, registered a strong dissent to the apex court collegium's recommendation to elevate Justice Pancholi to the top court, saying his appointment would be "counter-productive" to the judiciary. Justice Nagarathna, the only woman judge in t

CJI Gavai calls for reforms in legal system while addressing law graduates

The Indian legal system has been facing unique challenges and is badly in need of fixing, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said on Saturday. Delivering Convocation Address at Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad at Justice City near here, Justice Gavai advised students to go abroad for studies on scholarships, not to put pressure on family finances. "Even though I conclude that our legal system is badly in need of fixing, I remain cautiously optimistic that my fellow citizens will rise to the challenges, CJI Gavai said. "Our country and legal system are facing unique challenges. Delays in trials can sometimes go for decades. We have seen cases where someone has been found innocent after spending years in jail as an undertrial. Our best talent can help us resolve the problems that we are facing," he further said. He advised the passing out graduates to seek mentors not for their power, but for integrity. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Supreme Court Judge Justice PS Narasimha als

Ex-CJIs raise concerns on ONOE Bill, but back its constitutionality

Former chief justices of India, J S Khehar and D Y Chandrachud, are interacting on Friday with the parliamentary committee scrutinising the simultaneous election bill as it held its eighth sitting. Sources said both jurists are of the view that the concept of 'one nation one election' is not violative of the basic structure of the Constitution but have questioned the extent of power vested with the Election Commission in the proposed law. They have also made certain suggestions while throwing light on the journey of parliamentary system of democracy in the country. The Joint Committee of Parliament headed by BJP MP P P Chaudhary has been speaking to jurists and legal experts as it prepares its recommendation on the bill. Two other former chief justices of India, U U Lalit and Ranjan Gogoi, have appeared before the committee in past. While both of them did not question the constitutionality of simultaneous elections, they have questioned some aspects of the bill and offered

Without addressing inequalities, no nation can be democratic: CJI Gavai

Without addressing the structural inequalities that marginalise large sections of society, no nation can claim to be truly progressive or democratic, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said on Wednesday while emphasising that socio-economic justice is a practical necessity for achieving long-term stability, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Speaking at a function in Milan on the topic of "Role of Constitution in Delivering Socio-Economic Justice in a Country: Reflections from 75 Years of Indian Constitution", the CJI said that justice is not an abstract ideal and it must take root in social structures, in the distribution of opportunity, and in the conditions under which people live. "Without addressing the structural inequalities that marginalise large sections of society, no nation can claim to be truly progressive or democratic. Socio-economic justice, in other words, a practical necessity for achieving long-term stability, social cohesion, and sustainable development," h

Judicial activism must not become 'judicial terrorism', says CJI Gavai

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai emphasised that judicial review should be used sparingly, reserved only for the most exceptional cases

CJI Gavai calls Constitution 'quiet revolution' empowering oppressed

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai has described the Constitution as a "quiet revolution etched in ink" and a transformative force that not only guarantees rights but actively uplifts the historically oppressed. Speaking at the Oxford Union on the theme 'From Representation to Realisation: Embodying the Constitution's Promise' on Tuesday, the CJI, the second Dalit and the first Buddhist to hold India's highest judicial office, highlighted the positive impact of the Constitution on marginalised communities and gave his example to drive home the point. "Many decades ago, millions of citizens of India were called 'untouchables'. They were told they were impure. They were told that they did not belong. They were told that they could not speak for themselves. But here we are today, where a person belonging to those very people is speaking openly, as the holder of the highest office in the judiciary of the country," the CJI said. He said the Constitution told the citizens that "they .

Constitution must be credited for keeping country united during crises: CJI

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai on Saturday said that whenever the country has faced a crisis, it has remained united and strong, and that the Constitution should be credited for this. The CJI was addressing a function after the inauguration of advocate chambers and a multi-level parking at the Allahabad High Court here. "When the Constitution was being made and its final draft was presented before the Constituent Assembly, at that time some people used to say that the Constitution is too federal while some used to say that it is too unitary. "Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had replied that the Constitution is neither wholly federal nor wholly unitary. But one thing I can tell you is that we have given a Constitution which will keep India united and strong both in times of peace and war," CJI Gavai said. He said India has been on the path of development after independence due to the Constitution. "Today we see what is the condition of our neighbouring countries. And India is .