Government Begins Process to Appoint Next Chief Justice of India
Union government seeks CJI B.R. Gavai’s recommendation to name his successor, with Justice Surya Kant likely to take over next month.
New Delhi: The Union government has officially started the process of appointing the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) by writing to the incumbent CJI B.R. Gavai, asking him to recommend his successor.
Chief Justice Gavai is set to retire on November 23, and as per tradition, the process for appointing the next CJI begins about a month before the incumbent’s retirement. According to seniority, Justice Surya Kant is next in line and is expected to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India.
Justice Gavai, who is currently on a four-day official visit to Bhutan, is likely to send his recommendation to the Union government once he returns to New Delhi.
Under the Memorandum of Procedure that governs appointments in the higher judiciary, the Union Law Minister currently Kiren Rijiju formally seeks the outgoing CJI’s recommendation to ensure a smooth transition in the top judicial post.
Justice Surya Kant, born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, began his legal career at the Hisar District Court in 1984 before moving to the Punjab and Haryana High Court a year later. He built a reputation for his expertise in constitutional, service, and civil law, and represented several universities, boards, and corporations.
In 2000, he was appointed as the youngest Advocate General of Haryana. Justice Kant became a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004 and later served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 2018 until his elevation to the Supreme Court in May 2019.
If appointed, Justice Surya Kant will serve as CJI until his retirement on February 9, 2027, giving him a tenure of about 15 months. He currently heads the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, a position he has held since November 2024.
