Justice Gavai’s time as CJI will be short but important, lasting for about six months, until his retirement in November 2025.
Justice BR Gavai to Become 51st Chief Justice of India: A Look at His Journey, Education, and Top Judgments
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, known as Justice BR Gavai, will officially become the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) on May 14, 2025. He will succeed Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who will retire on May 13, 2025. Following his retirement, President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Gavai.
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Justice Gavai’s time as CJI will be short but important, lasting for about six months, until his retirement in November 2025.
Early Life and Education of Justice BR Gavai
Justice Gavai was born on November 24, 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra. He joined the legal profession on March 16, 1985. As per reports, he studied Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (B.A.LL.B.) from Nagpur University.
He started his legal practice independently at the Bombay High Court from 1987 to 1990. Later, he mainly practiced at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. His official profile on the Supreme Court’s website mentions this.
Professional Journey Before Becoming Judge
Justice Gavai mainly dealt with Constitutional Law and Administrative Law. He worked as Standing Counsel for different bodies such as:
- Municipal Corporation of Nagpur
- Amravati Municipal Corporation
- Amravati University
He also appeared for many public sector corporations like SICOM and DCVL, as well as various Municipal Councils in the Vidarbha region.
In August 1992, he was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, a position he held till July 1993. He was then appointed as Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor on January 17, 2000.
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Judicial Career in the High Court
Justice Gavai became an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003, and was confirmed as a Permanent Judge on November 12, 2005.
He handled a wide variety of cases at the Principal Seat in Mumbai as well as Benches in Nagpur, Aurangabad, and Panaji.
Supreme Court Journey and Achievements
Justice BR Gavai was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019. He is set to retire on November 23, 2025.
During his nearly six years on the Supreme Court Bench, he participated in about 700 Benches and dealt with a broad range of issues like:
- Constitutional Law
- Civil and Criminal Law
- Administrative and Commercial Law
- Arbitration
- Electricity and Environmental matters
- Education-related issues
He has authored around 300 judgments, including important Constitution Bench rulings. These judgments have played a role in protecting the rule of law, human rights, fundamental rights, and legal rights of the people.
Notable Judgments of Justice B.R. Gavai
- Vivek Narayan Sharma v. Union of India (2023)
Justice Gavai authored the majority opinion upholding the Union’s 2016 Demonetisation Scheme. He noted that the Union Government had consulted with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) prior to implementing the scheme. Justice Gavai affirmed the Union’s authority to declare all series of any denomination as invalid legal tender and concluded that the Demonetisation Scheme met the ‘test of proportionality.’
2. Sudru v. The State of Chhattisgarh
In this case, the Court considered whether the Appellant could be convicted solely on circumstantial evidence, especially when key witnesses had turned hostile.
Writing on behalf of himself and Justice Deepak Gupta, Justice Gavai stated that “while a lack of explanation or false explanation cannot by itself complete the chain of circumstances needed to establish guilt, a false explanation can strengthen the finding of guilt already supported by other evidence”.
3. Union of India (UOI) and Ors. v. Unicorn Industries
Justice Gavai, writing on behalf of himself, Justices Arun Mishra, and M.R. Shah, addressed whether the Union of India could be prevented from withdrawing an excise duty exemption on certain products if such withdrawal was in the public interest.
Relying on scientific evidence and studies on the effects of tobacco products and pan masala, Justice Gavai observed that these products contain carcinogenic and hazardous properties and concluded that an exemption on such items was unwarranted.
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