CJI Sanjiv Khanna names Justice BR Gavai as 52nd Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Wednesday beneficial to the Centre the title of Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as the next CJI. Justice Gavai, the second senior-most Supreme Court docket maintain after the incumbent CJI Khanna, is decided to develop into the 52nd CJI on May 14 after the retirement of CJI Khanna on May 13.

Justice Gavai, who was elevated as a maintain of the Supreme Court docket on May 24, 2019, would have a tenure of over six months as the CJI. He is on yarn of of retire on November 23, 2025. CJI Khanna, who was sworn in as the 51st CJI on November 11 final one year, beneficial to the Union law ministry to nominate Justice Gavai as the next CJI.

The retirement age of Supreme Court docket judges is 65 years. Born on November 24, 1960 at Amravati, Justice Gavai was elevated as an additional maintain of the Bombay High Court docket on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent maintain of the high court docket on November 12, 2005.

Justice Gavai has been part of several Structure benches within the apex court docket which delivered direction-breaking verdicts.

He was part of a 5-maintain Structure bench which in December 2023 unanimously upheld the Centre’s willpower to abrogate provisions of Article 370 bestowing special living to the erstwhile instruct of Jammu and Kashmir. One more 5-maintain Structure bench, of which Justice Gavai was a part, annulled the electoral bonds device for political funding. He was part of a 5-maintain Structure bench which, by a 4:1 majority verdict, gave its mark of approval to the Centre’s 2016 willpower to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination forex notes.

Justice Gavai was part of a seven-maintain constitution bench, which by a 6:1 majority held that states are constitutionally empowered to build sub-classifications for the duration of the Scheduled Castes, which build a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the uplift of castes that are socially and educationally extra backward amongst them.

A seven-maintain Structure bench moreover having Justice Gavai dominated that the arbitration clause in an unstamped or insufficiently stamped settlement between parties was enforceable as this kind of defect was curable and did no longer render the contract invalid.

In a the biggest verdict, a bench headed by Justice Gavai laid down pan-India systems and acknowledged no property should be demolished with out a old showcause seek for and the affected should be given 15 days to answer. He is moreover heading the bench which is listening to matters related to forests, wildlife and safety of trees. He had joined the bar on March 16, 1985 and was the standing counsel for the Municipal Corporation of Nagpur, Amravati Municipal Corporation and Amravati College.

He was appointed as an assistant executive pleader and extra public prosecutor within the Bombay High Court docket’s Nagpur bench from August 1992 to July 1993. He was appointed as a executive pleader and public prosecutor for the Nagpur bench on January 17, 2000.

In step with the memorandum of map — a self-discipline of paperwork guiding appointment, elevation and transfer of high court docket and Supreme Court docket judges — the law minister writes to the CJI to title his or her successor.

The MoP says the senior-most maintain of the apex court docket is thought of as fit to preserve the self-discipline of business of the CJI and the views of the outgoing head of the judiciary should be sought “at an acceptable time”.