Justice Surya Kant is set to take over as the next Chief Justice of India, with CJI B R Gavai formally sending his name to the Centre for approval. Justice Surya Kant, currently serving as a senior Supreme
Court judge, will assume the top judicial post following CJI Gavai’s retirement, marking the next transition in the leadership of the apex court.
The government had, on October 23rd, started the process of appointing the next Chief Justice of India, as incumbent CJI BR Gavai is set to retire on November 23, sources said. According to sources, the government was awaiting the letter requesting CJI Gavai to name his successor.
As per the Memorandum of Procedure, which governs the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court deemed fit for the position is appointed as the Chief Justice of India.
The Union Law Minister seeks the outgoing CJI’s recommendation “at the appropriate time,” typically a month before retirement.
All About Justice Surya Kant
Born on February 10, 1962, in Hissar, Haryana, Justice Surya Kant became a Supreme Court judge on May 24, 2019. Once appointed, he will serve as CJI for about 15 months, until his retirement on February 9, 2027.
During his judicial career spanning over two decades, Justice Surya Kant has delivered landmark verdicts on issues such as free speech, democracy, corruption, environment, gender equality, and the abrogation of Article 370.
He was part of the bench that suspended the colonial-era sedition law, directed the Election Commission to disclose details of excluded voters in Bihar, and ordered a one-third reservation for women in bar associations.
Justice Surya Kant also served on benches that handled key cases, including the Pegasus spyware probe, the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2022 Punjab visit, and the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme for defence personnel. His tenure will begin following CJI Gavai’s retirement, marking the next phase in the leadership of India’s judiciary.
