Justice B.R. Gavai will be sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on Wednesday, becoming the first Buddhist to head the country’s judiciary.
President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Gavai, who succeeds outgoing CJI Sanjiv Khanna.
The appointment was made by President Murmu under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, and the Ministry of Law and Justice subsequently issued a notification confirming the decision. Justice Gavai, currently the seniormost judge of the Supreme Court, was elevated to the apex court on May 24, 2019.
Over the past six years, Justice Gavai has been part of around 700 Benches and has adjudicated matters across a wide range of legal domains, including constitutional and administrative law, civil and criminal law, commercial disputes, arbitration, electricity, education, and environmental law. He has authored nearly 300 judgments, including those delivered by Constitution Benches, upholding the rule of law and protecting fundamental, human, and legal rights.
Justice Gavai was appointed as a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005. During his tenure, he presided over a variety of assignments at the Principal Bench in Mumbai and at the benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji.
—IANS
