Senior judge of India Justice Surya Kant is going to take oath as the 53rd Chief Justice (CJI) of the country on Monday (24 November). That Justice B.R. He will replace Gavai and his tenure will be till 9 February 2027. During his long tenure in the Supreme Court, he has given many important and far-reaching decisions.
Justice Surya Kant, born on 10 February 1962 in Hisar, Haryana, has come from a very ordinary family and has reached the top post of the Supreme Court of the country. He initially practiced law in Hisar and later continued his practice in the Punjab-Haryana High Court. In the year 2018, he was made the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.
10 big decisions of Justice Surya Kant
1. Historic decision on Article 370
Justice Surya Kant was part of the five-judge Constitution bench which declared the decision to remove Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir as valid. This decision is included in the most discussed constitutional decisions of recent years.
2. Ban on treason law
He also played a key role in the bench which effectively stayed Section 124A (sedition) and directed the Center and states not to implement it until the government completed its review of the law.
3. Pegasus espionage controversy
In the Pegasus spyware case, Justice Surya Kant participated in the decision to constitute a special committee of cyber experts for investigation. The court had said that the government cannot be given unlimited powers in the name of national security.
4. Bihar voter list controversy
He directed the Election Commission to make public the complete details of 65 lakh names removed from the voter list, so that transparency can be ensured in the electoral process.
5. Women’s rights and local body governance
Justice Surya Kant reinstated the removal of a woman sarpanch from the post as illegal and said in his decision that discrimination against women is unacceptable. He also directed to reserve 1/3 seats for women in all bar associations including the Supreme Court Bar Association, which is considered a historic step.
6. Consideration of the powers of the Governor and the President
He is part of the Constitution bench which is hearing important cases related to the powers of the Governor and the President. A decision is yet to be taken on these.
7. Investigation of PM Modi’s security lapse
Prime Minister in 2022 Narendra Modi He had ordered to form an inquiry committee under the chairmanship of Justice Indu Malhotra on security lapses during his visit to Punjab.
8. One Rank-One Pension (OROP)
He gave constitutional recognition to the OROP scheme and justified it.
9. Strong stand on women’s rights
In his separate decision, he had said that increasing the participation of women in the legal profession and institutions is the need of the hour, hence reservation in bar associations is necessary.
10. Ranveer Allahabadia case
He warned podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia on derogatory comments and said that freedom of expression does not mean the right to break social norms.
Important role in judicial organizations
Justice Surya Kant has contributed to many national and international legal institutions. He was a member of the Governing Body of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and played an active role in various legal committees.
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