Gavai endorses name of Justice Surya Kant as CJI

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Monday recommended Justice Surya Kant — the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court — for appointment as his successor.

“CJI Gavai recommends the name of Justice Surya Kant…as his successor to be the 53rd CJI,” the Supreme Court said in a statement.

With barely a month left for the retirement of Justice Gavai, the Centre had last week initiated the process for the appointment of his successor by formally requesting him to name the next CJI. CJI Gavai is due to retire on November 23 on attaining the age of 65.

Once appointed, Justice Kant will become the 53rd CJI on November 24 and hold the office for nearly 15 months till February 9, 2027. Born in a middle-class family on February 10, 1962, in Hisar district of Haryana, Justice Surya Kant obtained a bachelor’s degree in law in 1984 from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, and he also has the distinction of standing “first class first” in his master’s degree in law in 2011 from Kurukshetra University.

He earned the distinction of being appointed the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000, at the age of 38.

He was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004, and assumed charge of the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh on October 5, 2018.

Justice Surya Kant was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.

According to the memorandum of procedure on the appointment and transfer of Supreme Court and High Court judges, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office should be appointed as the CJI.

There has been a convention of the CJI recommending the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court as his successor.

Only twice, it was not followed — Justice AN Ray was appointed the CJI on April 25, 1973, superseding three senior-most judges and Justice MH Beg was appointed the CJI on January 29, 1977, superseding Justice HR Khanna.