Justice Surya Kant sworn in as chief justice of India

Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd chief justice on Monday. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Kant succeeds BR Gavai, who retired on Sunday. He will have a tenure of 14 months till February 9, 2027.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Gavai were among those who attended the ceremony.

Kant on Sunday said that tackling the Supreme Court’s 90,000-case backlog would be his “first and foremost priority,” The Indian Express reported.

He 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 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.

Also read: As Chief Justice of India BR Gavai retires, his legacy is a perpetuation of the status quo
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