New Delhi, Nov 24 : Justice Surya Kant will on Monday be sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India, beginning a tenure of a little over 14 months at the helm of the judiciary. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan. His appointment follows the recommendation of outgoing CJI Bhushan R. Gavai, who demitted office on Sunday, continuing the convention of elevating the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court.
From Hisar to the Supreme Court: Justice Surya Kant’s rise
Born on February 10, 1962, in a middle class family in Hisar, Haryana, Justice Surya Kant began practising law in 1984. After shifting his practice to Chandigarh, he handled a wide spectrum of constitutional, civil and service matters, representing public institutions, banks, universities and even the High Court.
In 2000, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana and was designated Senior Advocate in 2001. He was elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2004, later serving as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in May 2019 and has been serving as Chairperson of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee since 2024.
Pendency reduction, new Constitution Benches among top priorities
Speaking ahead of taking charge, Justice Kant said that reducing case pendency across courts would be his foremost priority. He noted that one of his initial steps would be to work closely with High Courts to identify and resolve structural issues facing district and subordinate courts.
The incoming CJI said that in the coming weeks, the Supreme Court will constitute five-, seven- and nine-judge Constitution Benches to hear important cases that have been awaiting adjudication.
Justice Kant also emphasised the need to strengthen mediation to ease the burden on courts. “Mediation will be implemented effectively to reduce the burden of millions of cases,” he said, adding that community-level mediation must be promoted to help settle disputes between states and between the Centre and states.
Cautious approach to AI in judiciary
On the use of artificial intelligence to deal with rising caseloads, Justice Kant expressed cautious optimism. “AI has advantages, but people also have some concerns. It can be used in procedural matters. However, everyone wants their case to be decided by a judge,” he said.
According to the National Judicial Data Grid, 5.29 crore cases were pending across courts as of July including 4.65 crore in district courts, 63.30 lakh in High Courts and 86,742 before the Supreme Court underscoring the magnitude of the challenge before the new CJI.