Justice BR Gavai Appointed as 52nd Chief Justice of India, to Assume Office on May 14

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI). His appointment will take effect from May 14, 2025, following the retirement of incumbent CJI Sanjiv Khanna.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal made the announcement on social media platform X, stating:

“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, as the Chief Justice of India with effect from May 14, 2025.”

Justice Gavai, who will be the 52nd Chief Justice, is set to serve a tenure of approximately six months, as he is scheduled to retire on November 23, 2025.

Legal Career and Background

Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began his legal practice on March 16, 1985. He practiced independently at the Bombay High Court from 1987 to 1990, and thereafter primarily at the Nagpur Bench. He has served as Standing Counsel for several public institutions, including the Nagpur and Amravati Municipal Corporations and Amravati University.

Justice Gavai served as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor from August 1992 to July 1993, and later became the Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench in January 2000.

He was appointed as Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003, and became a permanent judge on November 12, 2005. His elevation to the Supreme Court came on May 24, 2019.

Judicial Contributions

Over the past six years at the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai has contributed to around 700 Benches and was part of key Constitution benches. He played a pivotal role in delivering landmark judgments on crucial issues including the abrogation of Article 370, the 2016 demonetization, and the annulment of the electoral bonds scheme.

Justice Gavai’s elevation as CJI is also historically significant, as he will be only the second Dalit to hold the post, after Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.