Justice B R Gavai, soon to be India’s first Buddhist Chief Justice, affirms the Constitution’s supremacy and refuses any post-retirement assignment. His stand strengthens trust in judicial independence.
New Delhi: Today, On May 11, Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, who will take charge as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) on May 14, made some important remarks on Sunday during a casual conversation with journalists at his home in Delhi.
He clearly said that he would not take up any government or official assignment after retirement, and also shared his views on the debate about whether the Parliament or the judiciary is more powerful.
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Justice Gavai, who will be the first Chief Justice of India from the Buddhist community, firmly said, “The Constitution is supreme.” With this statement, he ended the long-running argument about the authority of Parliament versus the judiciary.
His words made it clear that all institutions of governance must work within the limits set by the Constitution of India.
During his informal talk, Justice Gavai also expressed the emotional response of the Supreme Court judges after hearing about the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.
He said that the attack deeply disturbed the judges and they felt a strong sense of duty towards the nation.
He informed that in the absence of current CJI Sanjiv Khanna, he called for a full court meeting to discuss the issue.
He said,
“When the country is in crisis, the Supreme Court cannot remain aloof. We are also part of the nation.”
These remarks show that the judiciary is not disconnected from national events and feels responsible for upholding law and justice even during tough times.
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Justice Gavai’s comments also reflected on the larger role of the judiciary in public life, especially when issues like case backlogs, vacancies in courts, and public criticism of the judiciary are being discussed nationwide.
He also briefly touched on the issue of judges interacting with the general public and politicians. Although he did not go into detail, his reference to such meetings shows the need for judges to remain balanced and responsible in their public conduct.
Justice Gavai’s decision to not accept any post-retirement role is also very significant. This move is expected to build more public trust in the independence of the judiciary.
It also responds to the public concern that judges should not be influenced by expectations of government posts after retirement.
With Justice Gavai set to take over as the next Chief Justice of India, his simple but strong message – “The Constitution is supreme” – underlines the importance of upholding constitutional values above all.
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His stand against post-retirement positions adds to the transparency and credibility expected from the highest judges in the country.
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