Centre writes to CJI B.R. Gavai seeking recommendation for his successor

New Delhi, Oct 2025 : The Union government has formally written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, seeking his recommendation for the appointment of his successor, marking the beginning of the transition process at the top of the Indian judiciary.

CJI Gavai is scheduled to demit office on November 23, and the government’s communication initiates the customary procedure that begins roughly a month before the incumbent Chief Justice’s retirement.

In keeping with convention, the outgoing CJI recommends the name of the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court who is deemed fit to hold the highest judicial office in the country. Based on the order of seniority, Justice Surya Kant is next in line and is expected to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India following Justice Gavai’s retirement.

At present, CJI Gavai is on a four-day official visit to Bhutan and is expected to send his recommendation to the government after returning to New Delhi.

Procedure and tradition

As per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) governing appointments to the higher judiciary, the Union Law Minister, currently Kiren Rijiju, formally requests the outgoing CJI to recommend the next Chief Justice. This well-established process ensures a smooth and timely transition in the judiciary’s leadership and continuity in the functioning of the Supreme Court.

Justice Surya Kant: Profile of the likely successor

Born on February 10, 1962, in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Surya Kant began his legal career at the Hisar District Court in 1984 and shifted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court a year later. Over the years, he built a distinguished career in constitutional, service, and civil law, representing various universities, boards, and corporations.

In 2000, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana, before being elevated as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004. He later served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 5, 2018, and was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.

Justice Surya Kant, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, is due to retire on February 9, 2027, giving him a tenure of nearly 15 months as Chief Justice of India once appointed.