Justice Surya Kant will be sworn in on Monday as the 53rd Chief Justice of India, succeeding Justice B R Gavai, who retired on Sunday evening.
Over his tenure in the Supreme Court, Justice Kant has been associated with a series of significant constitutional rulings, including those on the abrogation of Article 370, the revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls and the Pegasus spyware case.
Justice Kant was appointed CJI-designate on October 30. He will serve a tenure of nearly 15 months and is scheduled to demit office on February 9, 2027, upon turning 65.
Born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana’s Hisar district to a middle-class family, Justice Kant rose from the Bar as a small-town practitioner to the country’s highest judicial post. Over the years he has been part of several nationally significant judgments and constitutional decisions.
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He completed his Master’s degree in law from Kurukshetra University in 2011, securing “first class first”.
Justice Kant earlier served as chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 5, 2018. Prior to that, he authored several notable judgments in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Landmark rulings
{{/usCountry}}Justice Kant earlier served as chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 5, 2018. Prior to that, he authored several notable judgments in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Landmark rulings
{{/usCountry}}At the Supreme Court, his tenure has included key rulings on Article 370, free speech and citizenship issues, underscoring his role in shaping contemporary constitutional law.
The judge was also on the Bench that heard the recent presidential reference examining the scope of the Governor’s and President’s powers in dealing with bills cleared by a state legislature. The verdict in the matter is awaited and is expected to have significant implications for multiple states.
In a separate set of proceedings, Justice Kant urged the Election Commission to furnish details of the 65 lakh voters omitted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls. The direction came while the Supreme Court was hearing petitions challenging the Commission’s decision to carry out a Special Intensive Revision of the voters list ahead of elections in the state.
(With inputs from PTI)