Justice BR Gavai Set To Become 52nd Chief Justice Of India

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Wednesday formally recommended Justice BR Gavai, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor.

President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Gavai at Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 14, a day after CJI Khanna retires on May 13.

Justice Gavai will take charge as the 52nd Chief Justice of India.

Justice Khanna had assumed office in November 2024, following the retirement of former CJI DY Chandrachud.

Judicial Journey Of Justice BR Gavai

Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai began his legal career by joining the Bar on March 16, 1985.

He was elevated as a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005.

Since his elevation to the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai has been part of several Constitution Benches and has contributed to major rulings shaping Indian constitutional law.

Landmark Judgments

Justice Gavai has been at the forefront of multiple significant decisions.

He was a member of the five-judge bench that unanimously upheld the Central Government’s 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370, which ended the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir.

He also played a key role in the bench that struck down the electoral bonds scheme used for anonymous political funding, ruling it unconstitutional.

In another prominent case, Justice Gavai was part of the five-judge bench that, by a 4:1 majority, upheld the 2016 demonetisation move by the Centre, validating the scrapping of ₹500 and ₹1,000 currency notes as legally sound.

Justice Gavai also contributed to a landmark social justice verdict.

As part of a seven-judge Constitution Bench, he concurred in a 6:1 majority judgment that allowed states to create sub-categories within Scheduled Castes to better target reservation benefits to the most backward groups among them.

A Historic Appointment

Justice BR Gavai’s elevation to the top judicial post is historic, as he will become only the second Dalit Chief Justice of India after KG Balakrishnan.

His appointment is expected to resonate strongly in terms of representation and judicial leadership.

Justice Gavai’s career, marked by pivotal rulings on constitutional, financial, and electoral matters, sets the stage for his tenure as CJI.

He is likely to uphold judicial independence and deliver impactful jurisprudence.

As Justice Gavai prepares to take over as the 52nd Chief Justice, the legal fraternity and citizens alike will closely watch his leadership on the Bench, particularly as India navigates key constitutional and democratic questions.

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