Justice Surya Kant is set to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India. He was recommended by current CJI Bhushan R. Gavai, who retires on November 23, 2025. Justice Surya Kant was born in Hisar, Haryana, on February 10, 1962. He is known for his strong legal skills and deep understanding of social issues. He started his career as an advocate and later became the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. He is currently a senior judge in the Supreme Court and also serves as the Executive Chairman of NALSA. Justice Kant will be the first person from Haryana to hold the top judicial post. He is expected to take office on November 24, 2025, and serve until February 9, 2027. In this article, we'll take a look at Justice Surya Kant's journey, his achievements, and what his appointment means for India's judiciary.
Who is Justice Surya Kant?
Justice Surya Kant is a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court of India. He is currently the second-most senior judge of the Supreme Court. He has been recommended for appointment as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI), a position he is slated to assume on November 24, 2025. He will be the first person from Haryana to hold the top judicial post.
Education
Justice Surya Kant was born on February 10, 1962, in the village of Petwar in the Hisar district of Haryana.
- Early Schooling: He studied in a village school that lacked benches until he was in Class VIII.
- Graduation (1981): He graduated from the Government Post Graduate College, Hisar.
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (1984): He earned his law degree from Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak.
- He continued his academic pursuits while on the bench, securing a First Class First in his master's degree in law from the Directorate of Distance Education, Kurukshetra University.
Career
Chief Justice of India, Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, recommends the name of Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most Judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor to be the 53rd Chief Justice of India.
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2025
Photo source: Supreme Court of India pic.twitter.com/3ibrilRFNe
Legal Practice
- Start of Practice (1984): Began practising law at the District Court, Hisar.
- High Court Practice (1985): Shifted his practice to Chandigarh to practice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, specialising in Constitutional, Service, and Civil matters. He represented several universities, boards, corporations, banks, and the High Court itself.
- Advocate General, Haryana (2000): He was appointed the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000, and held the office until his elevation to the bench.
- Senior Advocate (2001): He was designated as a Senior Advocate in March 2001.
Judicial Career
- Punjab and Haryana High Court (2004-2018): Elevated as a permanent Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004, where he served for over 14 years.
- Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court (2018-2019): Assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh on October 5, 2018.
- Supreme Court of India (2019-Present): Elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019.
Other Details
- Family Background: Born into a middle-class family in Hisar, Haryana. His father was a teacher. His journey is described as one from modest circumstances in a village, unlike many from families with strong legal backgrounds.
Notable Judgements and Contributions:
- Part of the bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370.
- Part of the bench that kept the colonial-era sedition law in abeyance (directing no new cases be registered) until the government completed its review.
- Authored the Jasvir Singh judgement at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, directing the state to frame a scheme for conjugal and family visits for jail inmates.
- Directed the government to frame protections for domestic workers.
- Directed that one-third of seats in bar associations be reserved for women.
- Part of the bench that upheld the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme as constitutionally valid.
- Directed a probe into the security lapse during the Prime Minister's 2022 Punjab visit.
- Other Positions: Served as a Member of the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for two consecutive terms (2007-2011). He also serves as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (w.e.f., November 12, 2024).
- Retirement: He is due to retire on February 9, 2027.
Who is the new Chief Justice of India?
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The current Chief Justice of India is Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai. However, he is due to retire soon, and the name of the next Chief Justice has been recommended:
- Justice Surya Kant has been formally recommended as the 53rd Chief Justice of India, to succeed Justice Gavai.
- Justice Surya Kant is expected to take the oath of office on November 24, 2025.
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