Justice BR Gavai Takes Oath As 52nd Chief Justice, Will Have 6-Month Tenure

Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai took oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan today. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice BR Gavai, who succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna in the country's top judicial post.

After the oath, Chief Justice Gavai was congratulated by President Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and other members of the Union Cabinet. Former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna was also at the function to wish his successor all the best.

Chief Justice Gavai will be at the top post for six months before he retires in November. The senior jurist joined the Bar in 1985 and practised before the Bombay High Court. He became an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in 2003 and a permanent judge in 2005. He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court in 2019.

As a judge of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Gavai has been part of several landmark judgments, including the verdict upholding the Centre's 2016 demonetisation decision and the ruling that declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional. He has authored around 300 judgments, many of them Constitution Bench verdicts relating to fundamental rights.

Chief Justice Gavai is the second Dalit to occupy the country's top legal post after Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan. Chief Justice Gavai's father RS Gavai is a social activist who served as Governor of three states and a member of both Houses of Parliament. RS Gavai founded the Republican Party of India (Gavai).

Senior lawyer and MP Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Chief Justice Gavai is "one of the most pragmatic and result-oriented judges" he has seen. "Very pleasant court ambiance, very firm grip on proceedings, great sense of humour, avoids 'Operation successful patient died' paradigms as far as possible and knows his law thoroughly... I wish he had a longer tenure," he added.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, "Justice Gavai is humility personified. Brilliant but humble. Holding the high constitutional office but grounded... He is intellectually independent and impartial to the core... He has an immense contribution in our jurisprudence in form of landmark judgments delivered in all branches of law".

"He is unpretentious and unassuming despite being one of the finest judges the country had so far. His legal acumen is without any pompous display. He has been carrying forward the true legacy of Dr Ambedkar," Mr Mehta said.