In New Delhi on November 23, Justice Surya Kant is set to take the oath of office as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI), commencing a 14‑month stint at the apex of the country’s judiciary. President Droupadi Murmu will lay the oath on him, succeeding the sitting Chief Justice Bhushan R. Gavai. The President had earlier sworn Justice Kant into the role “in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution”, following Chief Justice Gavai’s nomination.
Chief Justice Gavai, who steps down Sunday upon turning 65, continues the tradition of appointing the most senior Supreme Court judge as his successor. Born on February 10, 1962, in a middle‑class family from Haryana, Justice Kant began his legal career in Hisar in 1984 before moving on to Chandigarh to practise before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Over the years he has handled a wide range of cases—constitutional, service and civil matters—representing universities, corporate bodies, banks, as well as the High Court itself.
He became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana in July 2000, was named a senior advocate the following year, and was elevated to a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 9 January 2004. From October 2018 until his promotion to the Supreme Court on 24 May 2019, he served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. Since November 2024, he has chaired the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
Ahead of his official appointment, Justice Kant told reporters that his top priority as Chief Justice would be tackling the backlog in the Supreme Court and courts nationwide. He said he would first reach out to all High Courts to pinpoint issues hampering the smooth operation of district and lower courts. He also announced that Constitution Benches of five, seven and nine judges would be formed “in the next few weeks” to address long‑pending important matters.
Emphasising a stronger focus on alternative dispute resolution, Justice Kant stated, “Mediation will also be implemented effectively to reduce the burden of millions of cases.” He added that community mediation must be encouraged, especially to ease conflicts between state governments and between the centre and the states, noting that “a conducive environment must be created for this.”
When asked if artificial intelligence could help clear the backlog, he explained that while AI has benefits, many people still want a judge to make the final decision. “It can be used in procedural matters, but everyone wants their case decided by a judge,” he said.
According to figures from the National Judicial Data Grid updated to 21 July, Indian courts face a towering load of 5.29 crore unsolved cases: 4.65 crore at the district and subordinate level, 63.30 lakh in High Courts, and 86,742 before the Supreme Court.
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