Justice Surya Kant To Take Charge As India’s 53rd Chief Justice

Justice Surya Kant will be sworn in on Monday as the 53rd Chief Justice of India, beginning his 14-month tenure at the helm of the judiciary.

President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office in New Delhi.

His appointment follows the recommendation of outgoing CJI Bhushan R Gavai and adheres to the established convention of elevating the senior-most Supreme Court judge to the top post.

Born on 10 February 1962 in Haryana, Justice Surya Kant began his legal practice in Hisar in 1984 before shifting to Chandigarh to appear before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

He built a wide-ranging practice in constitutional, civil, and service matters and represented several public institutions, including universities, boards, banks, and even the High Court.

Haryana appointed him as its youngest Advocate General in 2000, designated him a senior advocate in 2001, and elevated him to the Punjab and Haryana High Court as a judge in 2004.

Justice Kant later served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 2018 until his elevation to the Supreme Court in May 2019.

Since November 2024, he has chaired the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

Reform Agenda and Judicial Priorities

Speaking to the media on Saturday ahead of assuming office, the CJI-designate said that reducing pendency across courts would be his foremost priority.

India’s courts currently face a backlog of 5.29 crore cases, including 4.65 crore in district courts and nearly 87,000 before the Supreme Court.

Justice Surya Kant said he will begin his tenure by engaging with all High Courts to identify key challenges affecting district and subordinate courts.

He also announced that he will constitute Constitution Benches of five, seven, and nine judges in the coming weeks to hear important cases pending for years.

The incoming CJI emphasised strengthening mediation as a tool to reduce caseloads and said the judiciary must encourage both court-annexed and community mediation.

He added that these mechanisms can help resolve disputes between states and between the Centre and state governments, provided a conducive environment supports them.

On the role of artificial intelligence in the judiciary, Justice Surya Kant said that AI can support procedural work but must not replace human decision-making.

“Everyone wants their case to be decided by a judge,” he said, noting that while AI offers advantages, it also raises genuine concerns.

Justice Surya Kant plans to drive systemic reforms, modernise court processes, and improve access to justice during his tenure.

His leadership aims to strengthen the judiciary’s institutional capacity and push forward long-pending structural improvements in India’s legal system.

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