Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai has officially recommended Justice Surya Kant, the judge next in line in seniority, as his successor to the government. Justice BR Gavai’s term is scheduled to conclude on November 23.
Upon approval from the Law Ministry, Justice Surya Kant is poised to assume the role of the 53rd CJI and is anticipated to hold office until February 9, 2027, for a tenure of around 14 months. It is customary for the most senior judge to be appointed as the Chief Justice.
If appointed as CJI, Justice Kant will be the first individual from Haryana to hold this prestigious position.
Justice Surya Kant, born on February 10, 1962, in a modest village in Hisar, Haryana, emerged in the legal realm without a family background in law. His journey from humble beginnings to an illustrious judicial career is particularly noteworthy.
His father worked as a teacher, and Justice Kant received his early education in a village school. He obtained his law degree from Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in 1984. Subsequently, he commenced his legal career at the district court in Hisar before transitioning to practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh.
Becoming the youngest advocate general of Haryana at the age of 38, Justice Kant ascended to the position of a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004. He further pursued academic achievements by completing his master’s degree in 2011 from Kurukshetra University.
Renowned for his fair judgments and composed demeanor, Justice Kant served for over 14 years in the Punjab and Haryana High Court before being appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in October 2018. He was later sworn in as a judge in the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.
Noteworthy among his rulings was his involvement in the constitution bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370 in 2023. Additionally, he played a role in a 2022 bench that directed the government to temporarily halt the use of the sedition law and suspend all pending trials, appeals, and proceedings.
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