In a significant development for India’s judiciary, the President of India has appointed Justice Surya Kant, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI).
The appointment, effective from November 24, 2025, was announced via a press communiqué from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Delhi. The warrant for his appointment has been signed by the Hon’ble President, and the notification issued by the Department of Justice, Government of India.
Justice Surya Kant, born on February 10, 1962, in the village of Petwar, District Hisar, Haryana, brings a wealth of experience from a four-decade-long career marked by academic excellence, judicial innovation, and a deep commitment to justice. He earned his law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984 and began practising law the same year at the District Courts in Hisar. By 1985, he had shifted his practice to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh, where he specialised in constitutional, service, and civil matters.
His rapid rise in the legal profession was evident when, on July 7, 2000, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana and was designated as a Senior Advocate. He held this position until his elevation as a permanent Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.
During his tenure as a judge, Justice Surya Kant contributed significantly to legal services and education. He served on the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) from 2007 to 2011 and achieved a First Class First in his Master’s degree in Law (LLM) in 2011. On October 5, 2018, he was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, a role he held until his elevation to the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019.
Since May 14, 2025, Justice Surya Kant has been serving as the Executive Chairman of NALSA, where he has focused on expanding access to justice for marginalised communities. He also holds positions on several committees of the Indian Law Institute, further underscoring his dedication to legal scholarship.
Throughout his illustrious career, Justice Surya Kant has presided over thousands of cases, delivering path-breaking judgments that have introduced novel interpretations in complex constitutional and human rights matters. His approach to jurisprudence is characterised by a harmonious blend of empathy, rigorous academic insight, and an unwavering adherence to the rule of law.
As the CJI-designate, Justice Surya Kant is poised to lead India’s highest court into a new era, building on his legacy of judicial reform and public service. The bio-data and photograph of Justice Surya Kant have been released alongside the communiqué for public dissemination.
This appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Indian judiciary, which continues to grapple with evolving legal challenges in a rapidly changing society.
