CJI Gavai recommends appointment of justice Surya Kant as next CJI

In a move marking the next chapter in the country’s judicial leadership, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has formally recommended to the Centre the name of justice Surya Kant, the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor.

Justice Surya Kant is poised to take oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on 24 November, a day after CJI Gavai demits office on 23 November. The recommendation, made in keeping with the established convention of seniority, has been conveyed to the Union Law Ministry, according to sources familiar with the development.

Justice Kant, who currently serves on the Supreme Court bench with a distinguished record of jurisprudence, will have a tenure of just over one year and two months, until his retirement on 9 February 2027.

Born on 10 February 1962, justice Surya Kant’s legal journey reflects the steady rise of a jurist deeply grounded in both law and public service. Beginning his career as an advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he went on to serve as advocate general of Haryana in 2000 — one of the youngest to hold the post — before being elevated to the Bench in 2001.

His career has since spanned a wide arc: from serving as a judge and later chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, to his elevation to the Supreme Court of India on 24 May 2019.

In his nearly six years on the apex court, justice Kant has been part of several constitutionally significant benches, delivering judgments that have reinforced principles of administrative fairness, transparency, and social justice.

Known for his clarity of thought and courteous demeanour on the bench, he has often been praised for blending empathy with rigour in his judicial reasoning.

With PTI inputs