Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI), effective May 14, 2025. President Droupadi Murmu signed the official appointment, which will see Justice Gavai take the oath of office on that date. He will succeed the incumbent CJI, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who is set to retire on May 13, 2025.
In an official statement, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal confirmed the appointment, posting on the social media platform X: “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 14th May, 2025.”
Justice Gavai, who is currently the senior-most judge after Justice Khanna, will be the 52nd person to assume the role of Chief Justice in India. His tenure will be relatively brief, lasting only six months, as he is scheduled to retire on December 23, 2025, upon reaching the age of 65.
Significantly, Justice Gavai will also make history as the second Chief Justice of India from the Scheduled Caste community, following in the footsteps of Justice KG Balakrishnan, who held the position from 2007 to 2010.
The appointment comes after a recommendation by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, which was made to the central government on April 16, 2025. As per established protocol, the CJI’s recommendation is an essential step in the selection process for the highest judicial position in the country.
Who is Justice BR Gavai?
Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai has had a distinguished legal career spanning over four decades. He began his legal practice in 1985, initially working with the late Raja S Bhonsale, a former Advocate General and High Court Judge. Justice Gavai soon established his own practice at the Bombay High Court in 1987, specializing in Constitutional and Administrative Law.
Throughout his career, Justice Gavai represented several prominent civic and educational bodies, including the Municipal Corporations of Nagpur and Amravati, Amravati University, and state-run entities like SICOM and DCVL. He was appointed Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court in 1992. By 2000, he became the Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor for the same bench.
Justice Gavai’s judicial journey saw him appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent Judge in 2005, serving across various benches in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji. His career reached new heights when he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019.
Justice Gavai’s appointment as CJI is expected to bring a wealth of experience and legal expertise to the country’s highest judicial office. As he prepares to take over as the 52nd Chief Justice of India, his tenure will be closely watched as he guides the judiciary in the final months of his service.
Sources By Agencies