CJI-designate BR Gavai said “Supreme Court can’t be aloof when the country is in danger,”. Supporting the India-Pakistan ceasefire, he noted that war helps no one, citing conflicts in Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza as examples.
Justice BR Gavai, who is set to become India’s first Buddhist Chief Justice of India (CJI), shared his key priorities resolving the issue of pending cases and addressing the shortage of judges.
Justice Gavai said,
“It’s a great coincidence that I am taking oath two days after Buddha Purnima,”
Chief Justice-Designate Justice BR Gavai said,
“When the country is in danger, the Supreme Court can’t be aloof; we are part of the country. When we heard about the incident, we were stunned. I convened a full court after taking permission from the Chief Justice since he was not in the country. After the meeting, we immediately announced a two-minute silence across the Supreme Court to pay homage to the victims of the attack,”
He made these comments during an informal discussion with senior journalists covering the Supreme Court.
Justice Gavai is scheduled to take the oath and assume the role of Chief Justice of India on May 14.
He emphasized the need to address the backlog in cases, stating,
“Already started working on categorisation.”
He added,
“I will also take steps to fill judicial vacancies… vacancies add to pendency, there is a direct co-relation. The collegium under me will take that on priority.”
In response to BJP leader Nishikant Dubey’s remarks regarding the Waqf hearing, claiming that , ‘CJI Sanjiv Khanna will be responsible for civil wars in India.’ Justice Gavai firmly stated,
“No compromise if somebody hurts the dignity of the court, judges,”
Later, CJI Sanjiv Khanna issued an order condemning Dubey’s comments as “hate speech on judiciary,” although he refrained from initiating contempt proceedings.
The court highlighted its resilience, asserting it is not “as fragile as flowers” to be swayed by such absurd statements.
Justice Gavai remarked,
“When the country is pained, we cannot be aloof. When the Pahalgam attack on tourists occurred, CJI Sanjiv Khanna was out of the country. But we held a full court meeting and passed a resolution condemning the terror act,”
He declined to comment directly on the ceasefire between India and Pakistan but stated,
“War achieves nothing… look at Russia-Ukraine war destruction…”
Justice Gavai’s father converted to Buddhism in 1956 during the movement initiated by Babasaheb Ambedkar, which saw half a million Dalits embracing Buddhism. Following this, the entire family also adopted the faith.
On May 6, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai as the next Chief Justice of India, effective May 14, 2025. Currently the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, Justice Gavai will take office a day after the retirement of incumbent CJI Sanjiv Khanna on May 13 (Tuesday).
Chief Justice Khanna recommended Justice Gavai for the position on April 16, in line with established appointment norms.
Justice Gavai will be the second Chief Justice from a Scheduled Caste background, following Justice KG Balakrishnan. His tenure as CJI will last six months and nine days until his retirement on November 23.
After serving 16 years on the Bombay High Court, Justice B.R. Gavai was elevated to the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019.
Some of his notable judgments include the prohibition of illegal bulldozer actions, ruling that properties of accused individuals cannot be demolished simply because they are accused or convicted of a crime. The Court established nationwide guidelines to prevent such illegal actions.
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He also granted bail to Manish Sisodia in connection with the CBI and ED investigations regarding the Delhi liquor scam. Justice Gavai was part of the bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370 and invalidated the electoral bonds scheme for violating the Right to Information.
Additionally, he participated in the Constitution bench that confirmed the permissibility of sub-classification within Scheduled Castes for allocating separate quotas to more disadvantaged groups within those categories.
As the Executive Chairman of NALSA, Justice Gavai led a team of six senior Supreme Court judges to relief camps in Manipur on March 22, 2025, to enhance legal and humanitarian support provided by NALSA.