Second Dalit to become Chief Justice of India – who is Justice BR Gavai? Know top judgements, 5 interesting points

Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai is set to become the 52nd Chief Justice of India, with his swearing-in scheduled for May 14, 2025. On Tuesday, 29 April, President Droupadi Murmu apprved the appointment of BR Gavai as the next CJI. 

On April 20, 2025, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna officially recommended Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as his successor, forwarding the proposal to the law ministry as part of the formal appointment process.

Currently, Justice Gavai holds the position of the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, following CJI Khanna.

Elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019, Justice Gavai, 64, will become the 52nd Chief Justice of India after the retirement of the current CJI Khanna and remain in office until November 23, 2025.

Justice Khanna will retire on May 13, 2025.

Notably, Justice BR Gavai will also retire this year. The Supreme Court judge is set to retire on November 23, 2025.

The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65 years.

Who is Justice BR Gavai?

• Justice BR Gavai was born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati. Justice Gavai will be the second Dalit to hold the position, following Justice KG Balakrishnan’s appointment in 2007.
• Gavai joined the Bar on March 16, 1985. Worked with the late Raja S. Bhonsale, former Advocate General and judge of the high court, till 1987. Practised independently at Bombay High Court from 1987 to 1990. After 1990, practised mainly before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. Practised in Constitutional Law and Administrative Law.
• BR Gavai was a Standing Counsel for the Municipal Corporation of Nagpur, Amravati Municipal Corporation and Amravati University.

• Gavai appeared regularly for various autonomous bodies and Corporations like SICOM, DCVL, and various Municipal Councils in the Vidarbha region. Was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench, from August 1992 to July 1993.
• Gavai became a permanent Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005.

Key judgments by Justice BR Gavai

Justice BR Gavai has contributed to several landmark rulings during his tenure:

• Demonetisation Case (2023): Justice Gavai concurred with the majority judgment that upheld the legality of the central government’s 2016 demonetisation decision, affirming that it was implemented within constitutional bounds.

• Article 370 Verdict: As a member of the five-judge Constitution Bench, BR Gavai played a significant role in the landmark judgment that validated the abrogation of Article 370, thereby revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and facilitating the reorganisation of the region.
• Prashant Bhushan Contempt Case: Justice Gavai was part of the bench in the high-profile contempt proceedings against senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, a case that addressed vital issues concerning free speech and judicial accountability.