On Wednesday, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna recommended the name of Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai to the Centre for appointment as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice Gavai, currently the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, is set to assume office on May 14, a day after the retirement of CJI Khanna on May 13.
Justice Gavai was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, and will serve over six months as CJI before retiring on November 23, 2025.
His appointment follows the well-established convention under the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), which guides the selection, elevation, and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary. As per the MoP, the Union Law Ministry seeks the outgoing Chief Justice’s recommendation, traditionally nominating the senior-most judge deemed fit for the position.
Born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began his judicial career as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He was made a permanent judge on November 12, 2005, and has since participated in several landmark decisions as part of the Constitution benches of the Supreme Court.
Justice Gavai’s tenure has been marked by significant judgments. He was part of the five-judge bench that unanimously upheld the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He also sat on the bench that struck down the electoral bonds scheme for political donations and contributed to the majority verdict that upheld the 2016 demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1,000 currency notes.
In another major ruling, Justice Gavai was part of a seven-judge Constitution bench that, by a 6:1 majority, held that state governments have the constitutional authority to create sub-classifications within Scheduled Castes for targeted reservation benefits, aiming to uplift the most backward communities.
Further, Justice Gavai was on the bench that ruled arbitration clauses in unstamped or insufficiently stamped agreements remain valid, as such deficiencies are curable and do not invalidate the contract itself.
Leading a bench, Justice Gavai also laid down nationwide guidelines against arbitrary demolitions, mandating that no property should be razed without prior issuance of a show-cause notice, and providing affected parties a minimum of 15 days to respond.
Currently, he heads the bench dealing with cases concerning forests, wildlife conservation, and tree protection, underscoring his judicial commitment to environmental issues.
Justice Gavai began his legal practice on March 16, 1985, and served as standing counsel for the Municipal Corporations of Nagpur and Amravati, as well as Amravati University.
He was appointed as an Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court from August 1992 to July 1993, before being promoted to Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor for the same bench on January 17, 2000.
Justice Gavai’s appointment will be historically significant. He will become only the second Dalit to hold the office of Chief Justice of India, following Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, who served in the role from 2007.