Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai Becomes the 52nd Chief Justice Of India

Today, on 14 May 2025, at Rashtrapati Bhavan a historical event happened where Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai took the oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI), a remarkable day for the Indian judiciary. 

President Droupadi Murmu swore in the newly elected MPs. People present at the event included Prime Minister Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Ministers, and senior members of the judiciary. The photos from this event are widely shared on social media sites due to its significance. However, netizens have mixed reactions for obvious reasons. 

Justice Gavai’s appointment is intriguing for several reasons that law students should keenly follow. He is the first Buddhist CJI and the second person from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community who is holding this post after the former CJI Justice K.G. Balakrishnan (2007-2010). His appointment has been seen as a sign of inclusivity and constitutional morality in the topmost parts of the judiciary.

Born in 1960 at Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai undertook his legal career in 1985 and became the judge of Bombay High Court in 2003, becoming permanent from 2005. He joined the Supreme Court on the 24 th day of May in 2019 and since then has been involved in numerous Constitution Benches that made landmark rulings. Chief Justice of India tenure is of 6 months, indicating that B.R.Gavai will be the CJI until November 23, 2025, after Justice Sanjiv Khanna retired on 13th May. 

For law students,our 52nd Chief Justice of India, B.R. Gavai’s judicial experience is full of valuable lessons about operations of the higher judiciary. He has been a member of benches that decided important cases including:

• Preserving the abrogation of Article 370 that nullified the special status of Jammu & Kashmir.
• Doing away with the scheme of electoral bonds.
• Upholding the 2016 demonetisation move.
• Passing orders against arbitrary demolitions and reminding the state that its action must comply with due-process.
• Issuance of bail in high profile cases of political leaders and civil rights activists like Manish Sisodia and Teesta Setalvad

Justice B.R. Gavai’s approach is envisioned by the commitment to constitutional supremacy and procedural fairness. During a less formal engagement with the journalists’ he restated the importance of constitutional limitations to the three arms of democracy, emphasizing on the functioning of the judiciary as the guardian of the constitution.

His appointment as the new chief justice of India brings the much-needed representation of marginalised communities in the judiciary. The Supreme Court collegium, in the process of recommending his elevation, had noted that it was time to have a judge of the Scheduled Caste category after almost a decade.

With his tenure, the judgements that Justice Gavai will make and the legacy that he will create will be closely followed. His emergence as a top contender in the presidential campaign bequeaths a lesson on the changing terrains of judicial leadership in India and the persistence of diversity, equity, and constitutional values in the legal circles.