Justice Surya Kant Takes Oath as 53rd Chief Justice of India: Vows to Tackle Court Backlog

New Delhi:

Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday, beginning his nearly 15-month tenure in the nation's highest judicial office. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Surya Kant with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in attendance, among other dignitaries.

Justice Surya Kant, who succeeded Justice Bhushan R Gavai, received his appointment as the next Chief Justice of India "in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution," following the former Chief Justice's recommendation.

Chief Justice Surya Kant will serve in office until February 9, 2027, when he reaches the retirement age of 65.

Following the oath-taking ceremony, Chief Justice Surya Kant greeted his predecessor Justice BR Gavai and embraced him warmly.

The Chief Justice of India stated that his foremost priority after taking the oath would be addressing the backlog of court cases.

"We would work on how to reduce the pending cases in the Supreme Court and courts across the country," he remarked prior to the ceremony, noting that he would engage with all High Courts nationwide to identify and resolve issues hampering hearings in lower courts.

Born on February 10, 1962, in Haryana, Chief Justice Surya Kant commenced his legal career in Hisar in 1984 before relocating to Chandigarh to practice before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Throughout his career, he handled a wide range of constitutional, service and civil matters, representing universities, boards, corporations, banks, and the High Court. Chief Justice Surya Kant became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana in July 2000, was designated a senior advocate in 2001, and was elevated as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.

He subsequently served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 2018 until his elevation to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.

Since November 2024, he has served as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

Justice Surya Kant's key verdicts

Justice Surya Kant has participated in several landmark judgments, including rulings on the abrogation of Article 370, the revision of Bihar's electoral rolls, and the Pegasus spyware case.

As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant contributed to the recent presidential reference regarding the powers of the Governor and President in handling bills passed by a state assembly. He also participated in the bench that suspended the colonial-era sedition law, directing that no new cases be registered under it pending a government review.

While hearing petitions challenging the Election Commission's decision to undertake Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list in Bihar - where Assembly Elections were recently conducted - Chief Justice Surya Kant encouraged the poll body to disclose details of 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls in the state.

He also served on the bench that appointed a five-member committee headed by former top court judge Justice Indu Malhotra to investigate the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab in 2022.

Chief Justice Surya Kant upheld the One Rank-One Pension scheme for defence forces, affirming its constitutional validity. He was also part of the seven-judge bench that overruled the 1967 Aligarh Muslim University judgment, paving the way for reconsideration of the institution's minority status.

The newly appointed Chief Justice of India participated in the bench that heard the Pegasus spyware case. He also led a bench that reinstated a woman sarpanch who was unlawfully removed from office, highlighting the gender bias in the matter. Chief Justice Surya Kant is recognized for directing that one-third of seats in bar associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association, be reserved for women.