CJI BR Gavai recommends Justice BR Kant as his successor

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has recommended justice Surya Kant as his successor, people in the know said. CJI has written to the central government regarding this. CJI Gavai is set to demit office on November 23. Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most judge after justice Gavai, will assume charge on November 24 as the 53rd CJI. He is slated to serve for nearly 15 months, until February 9, 2027.

Before his elevation to SC, he practised as senior advocate and served as the advocate general of Haryana. Justice Kant also holds several important positions - he serves as the visitor of the National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi, and is the ex-officio executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority.

Justice Kant was part of a bench which in September 2024 granted bail to former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. The bench had granted bail but justice Kant had ruled that "Kejriwal's arrest (by CBI) does not suffer with any procedural infirmity". His brother judge, justice Ujjal Bhuyan had taken a different view. Justice Kant is also heading a bench which is presiding over matters related to the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.