Justice Surya Kant’s journey from being the first lawyer in his family to becoming India’s CJI-designate reflects determination, legal brilliance, and resilience. Here are rare and lesser-known facts about his remarkable rise in the Indian judiciary.
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NEW DELHI: Justice Surya Kant, currently a judge of the Supreme Court of India, is set to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in November 2025, succeeding Justice B.R. Gavai. His life story is one of ambition and ascent, from a modest background in Haryana to the highest judicial position in the country.
Born in 1971 in Hisar district, Surya Kant was the first in his family to pursue law. He studied at Government College, Hisar, and later earned his LLB from Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak.
Unlike many in the higher judiciary who come from families with deep legal roots, Justice Surya Kant entered the profession without any inherited advantages. His early career began as a litigator in the district courts in Hisar in 1984, marking him as a self-made lawyer.
His rise in Haryana’s legal circles was swift. His sharp legal mind and reputation for eloquence helped him gain recognition, eventually leading to his appointment as Advocate General for Haryana in 2000, at just 38 years of age.
After four years as Advocate General, Kant was elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2004. Known for his clear judgments and detailed reasoning, he was seen as a judge with a deep understanding of both constitutional and criminal law.
In October 2018, he became the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where he served until May 2019, before being elevated to the Supreme Court of India.
Justice Kant has authored several notable judgments on education rights, environmental protection, and social justice.
One of his key rulings as a High Court judge addressed irregularities in school admissions, calling for transparency and fairness. His judgments often emphasize equitable governance and constitutional morality, principles he has cited repeatedly in his court opinions.
As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant has been part of benches that decided critical issues, including:
- Judicial review of government decisions during emergencies
- Environmental protection cases involving large-scale industrial projects
- Criminal jurisprudence on bail, sentencing, and victims’ rights
He is often regarded as a balanced and pragmatic judge, inclined toward reasoned justice rather than judicial populism.
According to the seniority, Justice Surya Kant is in line to become Chief Justice of India from November 2025 to February 2027. His term, though relatively short, will be crucial, coinciding with a period of intense constitutional debate and major pending cases before the Supreme Court.
Justice Kant’s career trajectory has often aligned with influential figures in the judiciary. His tenure in the Punjab and Haryana High Court coincided with that of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who later became CJI. Gogoi reportedly supported Kant’s elevation to the Himachal Pradesh High Court and subsequently to the Supreme Court.
Justice Kant’s speeches and rulings often stress “constitutional values over political expediency.” He has advocated for ethical public service, transparency in administration, and the judiciary’s role in defending fundamental rights.
He once remarked in a lecture that
“The Constitution is not a piece of paper but a living conscience that binds power with morality.”
Justice Surya Kant’s tenure as CJI (November 2025–February 2027) will likely coincide with major hearings, including:
- Long-pending electoral reform petitions
- Judicial independence and appointment processes
- Review petitions on federal taxation and fiscal federalism
From being the first lawyer in his family to serving as CJI-designate, Justice Surya Kant’s story embodies the transformation of India’s judiciary, where regional advocates can rise to the nation’s highest judicial office.
Before his elevation to the Supreme Court of India, Justice Surya Kant, then the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, faced scrutiny over allegations of misconduct and irregular property dealings.
In early 2019, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan wrote a letter to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, urging him to order an in-house inquiry into the complaints pending against Justice Kant. At that time, Kant was reportedly under consideration for elevation to the Supreme Court, a promotion that would eventually place him in line to become the Chief Justice of India from November 2025 to February 2027.
In his letter, Bhushan cited “serious allegations of illegal property transactions and abuse of authority” against Justice Surya Kant. He emphasized that no credible investigation had been conducted into those complaints despite their existence for several years.
Bhushan wrote that “in our opinion, his name should not be considered for elevation to this Hon’ble Court without getting these serious allegations against him credibly investigated.”
His appeal came amid mounting discussions within legal circles about transparency in the judicial appointment process and the functioning of the Supreme Court Collegium.
The concerns raised by Bhushan were not new. As early as 2017, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, then a Supreme Court judge, had expressed his reservations regarding Justice Kant’s elevation.
When the opinion of Justice Goel was sought by then CJI Justice J.S. Khehar about Kant’s appointment, Goel noted that there were several complaints related to properties allegedly acquired by Kant after his elevation as a judge.
Justice Goel had recommended an independent valuation and further inquiry into these assets before any promotion was considered.
In January 2018, Justice Goel again wrote to Chief Justice Dipak Misra, reiterating his “respectful disagreement with the proposal” to appoint Justice Surya Kant as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
He noted that his earlier recommendations for an inquiry had not received any response. Despite this, in October 2018, the government notified Justice Kant’s appointment as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, without any of the inquiries suggested by Justice Goel being carried out.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) strongly criticized Justice A.K. Goel for objecting to Kant’s elevation.
The BCI questioned whether any formal inquiry had ever been initiated against any sitting judge before their elevation to the position of Chief Justice of a High Court or to the Supreme Court.
The Council suggested that such objections, coming from within the judiciary, could undermine the institutional reputation of the courts if made public without due process.
Despite multiple complaints and two judicial letters raising red flags, no formal investigation or in-house inquiry was ever ordered against Justice Surya Kant.
He continued his judicial career, serving as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court of India in May 2019.
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