The 52nd CJI Justice BR Gavai Comes With Impeccable Credentials

He became a permanent Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005. He presided over Benches having all types of assignments at the Principal Seat at Mumbai as well as Benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad and Panaji

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who is scheduled to retire on May 13, has recommended Justice Bhushan R. Gavai as the 52nd Chief Justice of India.

Under the Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of the CJI and Supreme Court Judges, the Law Ministry seeks the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice about the next appointment. The letter from the government starts the appointment process for the next Chief Justice of India in May.

Justice Gavai will become the third member from the Nagpur Bar Association to achieve this exalted position. The earlier two were Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah and Justice Sharad Bobde.

He will be the second Dalit to hold the position after Justice KG Balakrishnan, who served as Chief Justice of India from January 14, 2007, to May 12, 2010.

Justice Gavai was born on November 24, 1960 in Amravati. He is the eldest son of former governor of Kerala and Bihar R.S. Gavai. He joined Bar on 16th March, 1985 and worked with Raja S Bhonsale, former Advocate General and Judge of High Court, till 1987. He practised independently at Bombay High Court from 1987 to 1990, after which he practised mainly before the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court.

An authority on Constitutional Law and Administrative Law, Justice Gavai was Standing Counsel for Municipal Corporation of Nagpur, Amravati Municipal Corporation and Amravati University.

He served as assistant government pleader and additional public prosecutor in the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench, from August, 1992 to July, 1993. Apart from it, he was appointed as government pleader and public prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench on January 17, 2000. He was elevated as additional judge of the High Court on November 14, 2003.

Justice Gavai became a permanent Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005. He presided over Benches having all types of assignments at the Principal Seat at Mumbai as well as Benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad and Panaji. He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019. He is due to retire on November 23, 2025.