Justice Surya Kant was sworn in as the fifty third Chief Justice of India on Monday 24 November at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath at a brief ceremony attended by senior members of the government and the judiciary. Justice Kant took the oath in Hindi and invoked God as he assumed the country’s highest judicial office.
He succeeds Justice B R Gavai. Justice Kant had been appointed to the post on 30 October and will serve for almost fifteen months until he demits office on 9 February 2027 upon reaching the age of sixty five. Justice Kant has been a part of several significant constitutional decisions during his tenure on the Supreme Court. These include the ruling on the abrogation of Article 370, which ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. His elevation was widely anticipated within legal circles and has been viewed as a continuation of institutional stability at the top of the judiciary.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with senior judges and government officials. After the oath, Justice Kant received greetings from constitutional authorities and colleagues. The event reflected a formal yet warm transition in the leadership of the Supreme Court. In brief remarks after the ceremony, Justice Kant expressed his commitment to the Constitution and to strengthening public trust in the justice system. He stated, “My duty is to uphold the Constitution without fear or favour.” He also acknowledged the responsibilities that come with the role and the need for timely and transparent justice.
Justice Kant’s term begins at a time of growing public attention on judicial reforms and technological improvements in court processes. His leadership is expected to shape key debates on legal access, institutional efficiency and constitutional interpretation during the coming year.
