Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai recommends to the Union Law Ministry the appointment of Justice Surya Kant as the next CJI. BR Gavai will soon be retiring on 23rd November.
Justice Surya Kant, the second senior-most Supreme Court judge after the incumbent CJI B.R. Gavai, is set to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India following Chief Justice Gavai’s retirement in November.
Under the Memorandum of Procedure for the appointment of the Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court judges, the Law Ministry seeks the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice for the next appointment. The letter from the government officially kickstarts the appointment process for the next Chief Justice of India.
The process generally begins a month before the incumbent officer is scheduled to retire.
Justice Surya Kant
Born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Kant completed his graduation from his hometown before earning his Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) in 1984 from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. He began his legal practice at the Hisar district court and later shifted to Chandigarh in 1985 to practice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Justice Kant has specialized in constitutional, service, and civil matters. Throughout his career, he has represented several universities, boards, corporations, banks, and even the High Court itself.
He became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000, and was designated as a Senior Advocate in March 2001.
His position was further elevated to be the Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004. He was later appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in October 2018.
