CJI BR Gavai recommends appointment of Justice Surya Kant as his successor
PTC News Desk: Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai has recommended to the Union Law Ministry the name of Justice Surya Kant as the next CJI.
Justice Surya Kant, currently the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after Chief Justice Gavai, is set to take over as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) following Justice Gavai’s retirement on November 24.
As per the Memorandum of Procedure governing appointments of the CJI and Supreme Court judges, the Law Ministry seeks a recommendation from the outgoing Chief Justice regarding his successor. This formal communication from the government marks the beginning of the appointment process, which typically commences about a month before the incumbent demits office.
Early life and career
Born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Surya Kant completed his graduation locally before obtaining his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984. He began his legal practice at the Hisar district court and moved to Chandigarh in 1985 to practice before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Specialising in constitutional, service, and civil law, Justice Kant represented several universities, corporations, banks, and even the High Court itself.
On July 7, 2000, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana and was designated a senior advocate in March 2001. He was elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004, and later appointed as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in October 2018.
- With inputs from agencies
