Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai is set to take oath as the next Chief Justice of India on May 14. The appointment was cleared on Tuesday as President Droupadi Murmu gave her approval for his ascension to the country’s highest judicial post. Justice Gavai is slated to have a tenure of six months before he demits office on December 23 upon attaining the age of 65 years.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as the Chief Justice of India with effect from May 14,” Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal wrote on X.
He will be only the second Dalit to hold the position — following the appointment of Justice KG Balakrishnan in 2007. Justice Gavai will enter office as Chief Justice a day after incumbent incumbent CJI Justice Sanjiv Khanna demits office. His tenure will end later this year as the incoming CJI will turn 65 on December 23.
His name was recommended to the central government by CJI Khanna on April 16 as per existing procedures. Justice Gavai was elevated to the apex court in May 2019 and is currently the senior-most Supreme Court judge after the current Chief Justice.
Justice Gavai has been part of several path-breaking Supreme Court verdicts — including demonetisation and the abrogaton of Article 370. He was also part of the five-judge Constitution bench which annulled the electoral bonds scheme for political funding.