Justice Surya Kant on Monday took oath as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI), marking the beginning of his 14-month tenure in the country’s highest judicial office. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Kant, who succeeded BR Gavai. As the 53rd CJI, Justice Kant will serve until February 9, 2027.
Ahead of taking charge, Justice Surya Kant, while addressing a group of legal journalists at his residence in Delhi on Saturday, stated that his primary focus would be on reducing the massive pendency of cases across courts in the country. He also described mediation, an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, as “a game changer” capable of providing faster, off-court settlements to litigants.
Delhi: Justice Surya Kant takes oath as the Chief Justice of India, at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu administers the oath to him.
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Who is Justice Surya Kant?
Born on February 10, 1962, in Petwar village in Hisar district of Haryana to a middle-class family, Justice Kant earned his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984. He began his practice at the District Courts, Hisar, in July 1984. In 1985, he shifted his practice to Punjab and Haryana High Court. Thereafter, Justice Kant was regarded as an Eminent Service, Constitutional and Civil lawyer. He earned distinction of being appointed the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000. He was then designated a as Senior Advocate in March, 2001.
Justice Surya Kant’s career
Justice Kant served as the Advocate General of Haryana until his elevation as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004. He also served two consecutive terms (2007–2011) as a Member of the National Legal Services Authority and remains actively associated with various national and international NGOs and legal organisations. His area of specialisation include Constitutional, Service, and Civil matters and has represented numerous universities, boards, corporations, banks, as well as the High Court itself.
He is currently a member of various committees of the Indian Law Institute, a deemed university functioning under the aegis of the Supreme Court of India. In 2011, he earned the distinction of securing First Class First in his Master’s degree in Law from the Directorate of Distance Education, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra.
Elevation as the SC judge
He has also organised and participated in several prestigious national and international conferences. Justice Kant assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh on October 5, 2018. He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019. He was then appointed as the Chairman of Supreme Court Legal Services Committee on November 12, 2024.
Justice Kant has been part of benches that delivered several important judgments, including those related to One Rank One Pension (OROP), the Pegasus spyware case, Article 370, same-sex marriage, demonetisation, the 2024 NEET paper leak, and others.
Also Read: Who is Justice Surya Kant? Meet the 53rd Chief Justice of India Appointed by President Murmu
