Justice BR Gavai To Be Next Chief Justice of India To Take Oath On May 14
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been recommended as the next Chief Justice of India and will be sworn in on May 14, succeeding incumbent CJI DY Chandrachud.
Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Wednesday formally recommended Justice BR Gavai, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor. The Union Law Ministry is expected to process the appointment, with Justice Gavai scheduled to take oath on May 14.
CJI Sanjiv Khanna will retire on May 13, after completing a landmark tenure that included several significant constitutional bench verdicts.
Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began his legal career in 1985. He initially worked under the guidance of late Raja S Bhonsale, a former Advocate General and High Court judge.
He practiced primarily at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, specializing in Constitutional and Administrative Law. During this time, he also served as standing counsel for multiple government bodies, including the Nagpur and Amravati Municipal Corporations and Amravati University.
Justice Gavai was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003, and became a permanent judge in 2005. His work spanned key benches in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji.
In May 2019, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India. Known for his grounded legal philosophy and advocacy for judicial independence, he will serve as CJI until his retirement on November 23, 2025.
Justice Gavai’s elevation holds historical significance, as he will be the second Dalit to become the Chief Justice of India, following Justice KG Balakrishnan.
Legal experts have hailed the move as an affirmation of India’s evolving judicial inclusivity. “Justice Gavai’s appointment sends a powerful message of social representation at the highest level of the judiciary,” said senior advocate Sanjay Hegde.
Justice Gavai is expected to preside over several constitutionally significant matters during his tenure, including pending electoral reforms and challenges to controversial legislative decisions.
