CJI BR Gavai recommends Justice Surya Kant as his successor

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has recommended the appointment of Justice Surya Kant as his successor, Bar and Bench reported on Monday.

Gavai, who became the chief justice of the Supreme Court on May 14, will retire on November 23.

The recommendation made by Gavai to the Union law ministry is part of the convention on the appointment of the top court’s chief justices.

Kant is the second-most senior judge of the Supreme Court. His appointment will have to be approved by the Union government. He is expected to retire in February 2027.

Kant started practicing law at the district court in Hisar, Haryana in 1984 before working at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He specialised in constitutional, service and civil matters.

In 2000, he became the youngest advocate general of Haryana, a position he held until he became a judge in the High Court in 2004.

Kant was became the chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2018 before being elevated as a Supreme Court judge in May 2019.

He has been the chairperson of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee since November 2024.
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