New Delhi, April 16: In a significant development, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has formally recommended Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai as his successor, paving the way for Justice Gavai to become the 52nd Chief Justice of India. The recommendation has been forwarded to the Union Law Ministry for necessary action.
Justice Gavai is expected to take oath on May 14, a day after Chief Justice Khanna retires on May 13. His tenure as the country’s top judge will last approximately six months, as he is scheduled to retire in November 2025.
Justice Gavai will be the second Dalit to occupy the prestigious office, following Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, who held the post in 2007.
Key Judgments and Career Highlights
A senior judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai has been part of several landmark verdicts. Notably, he was on the bench that upheld the 2016 demonetisation policy of the Modi government and recently played a pivotal role in the ruling that declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional.
Justice Gavai’s legal journey began in 1985. He started under the mentorship of Raja S. Bhonsale, a former Advocate General and High Court judge, before commencing independent practice at the Bombay High Court in 1987. Specializing in Constitutional and Administrative Law, he represented various municipal and educational institutions, including the civic bodies of Nagpur and Amravati, Amravati University, and public corporations like SICOM and DCVL.
He was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court in 1992, later becoming the Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor in 2000.
In 2003, Justice Gavai was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court and subsequently served across its principal seat in Mumbai, as well as benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.
