Justice Surya Kant Takes Charge As India’s 53rd Chief Justice

Justice Surya Kant Takes Charge as India’s 53rd Chief Justice

Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on November 24, 2025, at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Supreme Court judges, and dignitaries from India and abroad.

Justice Kant succeeds Justice B.R. Gavai, who retired on November 23, 2025. He will serve as CJI for a tenure of nearly 15 months, demitting office on February 9, 2027, upon turning 65.

Born in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Surya Kant has had a distinguished legal career spanning over four decades. Before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2019, he served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

Key Details

• Oath Administered By: President Droupadi Murmu
• Succeeded: Justice B.R. Gavai
• Tenure Ends: February 9, 2027
• Prior Role: Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court

Top Priorities as CJI

Justice Kant outlined his focus areas for judicial reform:

• Reducing Case Backlog: Addressing pending litigation across courts.
• Constitution Benches: Formation of 5-, 7-, and 9-judge benches to decide long-pending constitutional matters.
• Strengthening ADR: Expansion of mediation and alternate dispute resolution mechanisms to reduce litigation burden.

Key Contributions & Judgments

Justice Surya Kant’s judicial contributions include:

• Part of the bench on the abrogation of Article 370
• Directed abeyance of the colonial sedition law
• Judgment on One Rank-One Pension (OROP)
• Ordered reservation of one-third bar association seats for women
• Youngest Advocate General of Haryana in 2000

The ceremony witnessed attendance from global judicial delegations, highlighting India’s growing legal influence on the world stage. Justice Surya Kant’s leadership is expected to bolster judicial access, efficiency, and constitutional jurisprudence.

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