New Delhi: The Union government on Thursday notified the appointment of Justice Surya Kant as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI), marking the first time a jurist from Haryana will occupy the country’s highest judicial office. He will take oath on November 24, a day after incumbent CJI Bhushan R Gavai demits office. Justice Kant will serve as the 53rd CJI and will have a tenure of about 14 months, retiring on February 9, 2027.
The notification comes two days after CJI Gavai initiated the appointment process by recommending Justice Kant, currently the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, to the government. Speaking to Hindustan Times earlier, CJI Gavai described his successor as “suited and competent in all aspects to take the helm,” adding that Justice Kant’s life experience would enable him to “understand the pain and sufferings of those who most need the judiciary to protect their rights.”
Born on February 10, 1962, in Petwar village in the Narnaud region of Hisar, Justice Kant is the youngest of five siblings. His father was a Sanskrit teacher and his mother a homemaker. He studied at local village schools, completed his graduation from Government Post Graduate College in Hisar in 1981, and obtained his LL.B from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984. Decades later, while serving as a High Court judge, he secured an LL.M. from Kurukshetra University in 2011, earning First Class First — a reflection of his sustained academic discipline and intellectual curiosity. Those who have known him recall his belief that learning is a continuous pursuit, not a milestone.
Justice Kant began legal practice at Hisar District Court in 1984 before shifting to Chandigarh the next year, where he built a flourishing practice before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Specialising in constitutional, service, and civil law, he represented several universities, corporations, and public bodies with a reputation for meticulous case preparation.
In July 2000, at just 38, he was appointed Advocate General of Haryana, becoming the youngest person to hold the state’s top law office. He was designated a Senior Advocate the following year.
His elevation as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court came in January 2004. Those familiar with the episode say he did not seek the judgeship and initially hesitated, given his thriving practice and family responsibilities. It was only after a persuasive conversation with then high court chief justice AB Saharya, who told him the judiciary needed him, that he accepted. “He saw judgeship as a repayment of a moral debt to the institution that shaped him,” a former colleague recalled.
During his tenure at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Kant authored several significant rulings. These included recognising the right of jail inmates to conjugal visits as an aspect of dignity and family life; ordering the sanitisation of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa following the 2017 violence after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim and issuing a series of monitored directions for coordinated anti-drug measures across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
In October 2018, he was appointed chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where he was widely respected for his administrative clarity and openness to the Bar. He consistently emphasised that the district judiciary is the true mirror of the justice system.
Behind the judge, however, is a man of gentler pursuits. Friends speak of his affinity for poetry, nature and the rhythms of rural life.
Justice Kant was elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2019, alongside Justice Gavai. Over six years, he has authored over 300 judgments across constitutional, criminal and administrative law.
He has served on several landmark benches, including the Article 370 abrogation case; Section 6A Citizenship Act verdict; the reference affirming Aligarh Muslim University’s minority status, where he wrote a notable dissent; the bench that granted bail to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal while upholding the legality of his arrest; the five-judge bench hearing the governor–president bill assent timeline reference, on which judgment is expected next month; and the upcoming review of the PMLA ruling concerning powers of the Enforcement Directorate .
Beyond the courtroom, Justice Kant has played a key role in legal aid and institutional reform. He previously served two terms on the governing body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), and is currently its Executive Chairman. In July, he launched the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana 2025, aimed at providing free legal assistance to soldiers, veterans, and their families, which he called “a fulfilment of constitutional duty.”
Known for his courteous demeanour and ability to build institutional consensus, Justice Kant assumes the CJI’s office at a time when the judiciary faces complex constitutional questions and public expectations of transparency, efficiency and reform.
His 14-month tenure is expected to see continued digitisation and procedural reform, major constitutional bench hearings and strengthening of judicial infrastructure at the district level.
As he prepares to take oath on November 24, the arc of his journey — from a village school in Petwar to the nation’s highest judicial chair, reflects not only personal grit, but also the possibility of the judiciary as an instrument of social mobility.
About the Author
