Justice B.R. Gavai To Be Next Chief Justice Of India
Justice Gavai will take oath as Chief Justice of India On May 14
PHOTO COURTESY : India Legal
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai will take oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on May 14, a day after incumbent CJI Sanjiv Khanna retires. Justice Gavai will be the second Dalit to hold the top judicial post, after Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, who served as CJI from 2007.
As per tradition, CJI Khanna has recommended Justice Gavai as his successor in a proposal sent to the Union Law Ministry. The ministry had earlier sought his recommendation in this regard.
Justice Gavai’s tenure as CJI will span approximately six months, with his retirement scheduled for November 2025.
Born in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began his legal career in 1985 under the mentorship of Barrister Raja Bhonsale, former Advocate General and High Court Judge. He started independent practice at the Bombay High Court in 1987, focusing primarily on Constitutional and administrative law at the Nagpur Bench.
He was appointed Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in 1992, and rose to become Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor in 2000. In 2003, he was appointed an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court and became a permanent judge in 2005. Justice Gavai was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019.
During his time in the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai has contributed to several landmark judgments, including the 2016 demonetisation case and the ruling that declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional.
