New Delhi, April 16 The way has been cleared for the appointment of the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice BR Gavai, as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI). The current Chief Justice Justice Sanjiv Khanna has sent the recommendation of Justice Gavai’s name as his successor to the Law Ministry.
As per tradition, the Law Ministry had sought the recommendation of the name of his successor from the current CJI, in response to which Justice Khanna put forward the name of Justice Gavai.
The term of Justice Sanjiv Khanna is ending on May 13. After him, on the basis of seniority, Justice BR Gavai will take over as the next CJI. Justice Gavai will be the 52nd Chief Justice of the country.
The appointment of Justice Gavai is special in many ways, as he is going to become the second Dalit Chief Justice of the country.
Born on 24th November, 1960 in Amravati, Hon’ble Justice took up the profession of law on 16th March, 1985. In his initial years, he worked with late Bar. Raja S. Bhosale (former Advocate General & High Court Judge) till 1987. Thereafter, he practised independently in Bombay High Court from 1987 to 1990.
After 1990, he practised mainly in Nagpur Bench, Bombay High Court, with special areas of constitutional and administrative law. He was Standing Counsel for Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Amravati Municipal Corporation and Amravati University. Besides, he regularly appeared for various autonomous bodies and corporations like CICOM, DCVL and several Municipal Councils of Vidarbha region.
He was appointed Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor, Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench from August, 1992 to July, 1993. On January 17, 2000, he was appointed as Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench.
On November 14, 2003, he was appointed as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court and became a permanent judge on November 12, 2005. He presided over a variety of cases in the Mumbai principal bench as well as the Nagpur, Aurangabad and Panaji benches.
On May 24, 2019, he was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court of India. He will retire on November 23, 2025.
