Justice BR Gavai recommended as next Chief Justice of India

Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been formally recommended to be the next Chief Justice of India (CJI). The Supreme Court forwarded the proposal to the Law Ministry after receiving a communication from the current Chief Justice, Sanjiv Khanna, who is due to retire on May 13, 2025. Following the established tradition, Justice Khanna named the senior-most judge next in line as his successor.

Justice Gavai, if appointed, will take oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on May 14, 2025. However, his tenure will be a relatively short one, lasting only six months, as he is scheduled to retire in November 2025. Despite the brief tenure, his elevation will mark a significant moment in Indian judicial history, as he will be the second Scheduled Caste judge to hold the post, after Justice KG Balakrishnan in 2010.

Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai is the son of the late RS Gavai, a respected social activist and former Governor of Bihar and Kerala. His legal career began with his appointment as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in 2003. Two years later, he became a Permanent Judge and served across various benches, including Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji for over 15 years.

Justice Gavai was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019. In his time at the apex court, he has been part of several key constitutional benches and has delivered judgments with far-reaching impacts. Among his most notable rulings was the majority opinion in favour of the 2016 demonetisation policy. The bench ruled that the government's move was within its powers and met the constitutional test of proportionality.

He also authored a widely praised judgment on the unconstitutionality of demolishing properties of accused persons without due process, asserting that the executive cannot act as both judge and executioner. Another major case Justice Gavai was involved in dealt with the controversial Electoral Bond Scheme, which had drawn attention for allegedly undermining transparency in political funding.