CJI Gavai recommends Justice Surya Kant’s name as successor

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R. Gavai on Monday recommended the name of Justice Surya Kant as his successor to the Centre, paving the way for Justice Kant to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India.

The recommendation comes in response to the Law Ministry seeking CJI Gavai’s suggestion for his successor, as he is set to retire on November 23.

Justice Surya Kant, currently the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court and next in line by seniority, will assume office upon Justice Gavai’s retirement.

Once the Centre issues the official notification, Justice Kant will take oath as the new Chief Justice of India on November 24. He is expected to serve in the top judicial post until his retirement on February 9, 2027 — a tenure spanning approximately 14 months.

Justice Gavai took charge as the 52nd Chief Justice of India in May 2025.

As per convention, the Law Ministry writes to the incumbent Chief Justice a little over a month before his retirement to seek the name of the next senior-most judge eligible for the position.

Following this, the Chief Justice formally recommends the name to the government for approval.

According to the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing judicial appointments and transfers, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court deemed fit to hold the position should be appointed as the Chief Justice of India.

With CJI Gavai’s recommendation now forwarded, the government is expected to notify Justice Surya Kant’s appointment soon.

Born on February 10, 1962, in a middle-class family in Haryana, Justice Kant graduated from Government Post Graduate College, Hisar, in 1981, and obtained his law degree in 1984 from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak.

He began his legal practice at the District Court in Hisar in 1984 and later shifted to Chandigarh in 1985 to practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, according to Justice Kant’s profile on the Supreme Court’s official website.

Over the years, he specialised in constitutional, service, and civil matters, representing several universities, boards, corporations, banks, and even the High Court itself. Justice Kant earned the distinction of becoming the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000.

He was designated as a Senior Advocate in March 2001 and served as Advocate General until his elevation as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.

He also served as a member of the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for two consecutive terms from February 2007 to February 2011 and is currently a member of several committees of the Indian Law Institute — a deemed university functioning under the Supreme Court of India.

Justice Kant assumed charge as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on October 5, 2018, and was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019. He has served as Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee since November 12, 2024, and is due to retire on February 9, 2027.

IANS