Justice Kant, the second senior-most choose of the apex courtroom, will take the oath of workplace on November 24 and stay CJI for almost 15 months. He'll demit workplace on February 9, 2027 on attaining the age of 65 years.
The Division of Justice within the Union Regulation Ministry issued a notification asserting Justice Kant's appointment.
The method to nominate Justice Kant as successor of incumbent CJI B R Gavai was set in movement final week by the Regulation Ministry. He was elevated to the highest courtroom on Might 24, 2019.
On October 27, Justice Gavai really helpful to the Centre the title of Justice Kant as the subsequent CJI.
Born on February 10, 1962 in Hisar district of Haryana to a middle-class household, Justice Kant went from being a small-town lawyer to the nation's highest judicial workplace, the place he has been a part of a number of verdicts and orders of nationwide significance and constitutional issues. He additionally has the excellence of standing ‘first-class first' in his Grasp's diploma in regulation in 2011 from Kurukshetra College. Justice Kant, who penned a number of notable judgments within the Punjab and Haryana HC, was appointed the chief justice of Himachal Pradesh HC on October 5, 2018. His tenure as an SC choose is marked by verdicts on the abrogation of Article 370, free speech and citizenship rights.
The choose was a part of the latest presidential reference on the powers of the Governor and President in coping with payments handed by a state meeting. The decision is keenly awaited with potential ramifications throughout states.
He was a part of the bench that stored the colonial-era sedition regulation in abeyance, directing that no new FIRs be registered underneath it till a authorities overview.
Justice Kant additionally nudged the Election Fee to reveal the main points of 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar whereas listening to a batch of petitions difficult the ballot panel's choice to undertake particular intensive revision of the voters listing within the poll-bound state.
In an order that emphasised grassroots democracy and gender justice, he led a bench that reinstated a lady sarpanch unlawfully faraway from workplace and referred to as out the gender bias within the matter.
He's additionally credited with directing that one-third of seats in bar associations, together with the Supreme Court docket Bar Affiliation, be reserved for ladies.
Justice Kant was a part of the bench that appointed a five-member committee headed by former high courtroom choose Justice Indu Malhotra to probe the safety breach throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi's go to to Punjab in 2022, saying such issues required “a judicially educated thoughts”.
He additionally upheld the One Rank-One Pension scheme for defence forces, calling it constitutionally legitimate, and continues to listen to petitions of girls officers within the armed forces looking for parity in everlasting fee.
In one other notable case, he upheld the Char Dham undertaking in Uttarakhand, emphasising its strategic significance for nationwide safety, whereas balancing environmental issues.
His bench additionally noticed that “freedom of speech just isn't a licence to flout societal norms” whereas cautioning podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia for “derogatory” remarks.
Justice Kant headed a bench which pulled up a number of stand-up comedians, together with “India's Obtained Latent” host Samay Raina, for ridiculing disabled folks on their reveals and directed the Centre to provide you with pointers for regulating on-line content material.
Holding that freedom of speech just isn't absolute, Justice Kant led a bench which pulled up Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah for his remarks focusing on Col Sofiya Qureshi, who gained nationwide prominence for media briefings on ‘Operation Sindoor', saying each phrase uttered by a minister must be with a way of accountability.
He has repeatedly underscored that corruption undermines governance and public belief.
In a 2023 verdict, he referred to as it a “severe societal risk” and ordered the CBI to probe 28 circumstances exposing an “unholy nexus between banks and builders” that defrauded homebuyers.
He additionally led a bench that granted bail to former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in CBI's excise coverage case, remarking that the company should work to dispel the notion of being a ‘caged parrot'.
His bench flagged the absence of a authorized framework for home staff, directing the Centre to type an knowledgeable committee to suggest protecting measures for this susceptible workforce.
He has been a part of over 300 benches since his elevation to the Supreme Court docket.
Justice Kant was additionally on the seven-judge bench that overruled the 1967 AMU verdict, opening the best way for reconsideration of its minority standing.
He was additionally a part of the bench which in 2021 appointed a 3-member panel of cyber consultants to probe the alleged use of Israeli spy ware Pegasus for surveillance of sure folks in India, saying the state can't get a “free move” each time the spectre of nationwide safety is raised and it can't be the “bugbear” that the judiciary shies away from.
