Justice Surya Kant to Take Oath as 53rd CJI Today - All About His Priorities And Landmark Verdicts

Justice Surya Kant, who has been part of several major rulings including the abrogation of Article 370, revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls and the Pegasus spyware case, will take oath on Monday as the 53rd Chief Justice of India.He will succeed Chief Justice BR Gavai, who demits office on Sunday evening. Justice Kant was appointed the next CJI on October 30 and will serve for nearly 15 months, demitting office on February 9, 2027, when he turns 65.Early Life and CareerBorn on February 10, 1962, in Haryana’s Hisar district to a middle-class family, Justice Kant rose from a small-town lawyer to the country’s highest judicial office. He completed his Master’s degree in law from Kurukshetra University in 2011, securing "first class first".He delivered

several notable judgments during his tenure at the Punjab and Haryana High Court and was appointed chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on October 5, 2018.Key Supreme Court ContributionsJustice Kant’s time at the Supreme Court has been marked by significant rulings on constitutional and public interest matters. He was on the bench that decided challenges to the abrogation of Article 370 and dealt with cases touching on free speech and citizenship rights.He was also part of the recent presidential reference examining the powers of Governors and the President in handling bills passed by state assemblies - a verdict with wide implications.Justice Kant was on the bench that kept the sedition law in abeyance, directing that no new FIRs be registered under the colonial-era provision until a government review.In a case involving voter roll revisions, he urged the Election Commission to disclose details of 65 lakh voters excluded from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision.Justice Kant led a bench that reinstated a woman sarpanch removed unlawfully, stressing the need to guard against gender bias in democratic institutions. He also directed that one-third of seats in bar associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association, be reserved for women.Other Notable OrdersHe was part of the bench that appointed a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra to examine the 2022 security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab, stating the issue required "a judicially trained mind".Justice Kant upheld the One Rank–One Pension scheme for the armed forces and continues to hear cases involving women officers seeking parity in permanent commission.He also sat on the seven-judge bench that overruled the 1967 Aligarh Muslim University judgment, allowing a reconsideration of the institution’s minority status.In the Pegasus spyware case, Justice Kant was part of the bench that appointed a panel of cyber experts to investigate alleged unlawful surveillance, remarking that the state cannot receive a “free pass under the guise of national security.”

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Priorities of the CJI DesignateMeanwhile, Speaking to journalists on Saturday, the CJI designate revealed that his two priorities for time being is drastically bringing down pendency and encouraging mediation as the alternative way of dispute resolution. "First priority is to cut down pendency in Supreme Court (approximately 92,000 cases) then the 43 million pending cases across High Courts, subordinate courts…I will promote mediation as a 'game changer'," he said."It has worked and I am convinced… I will push for alternative dispute redressal mechanism …why should people come to courts why do they feel their disputes will get a resolution only if they come to court," Justice Kant added.(With PTI inputs)