Justice BR Gavai, son of politician, doesn't want post-retirement politics: India is set to get its first Buddhist Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, when Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai takes charge on Wednesday (May 14). Son of RS Gavai, the veteran politician who was former governor of three states, the incoming CJI, however, does not want to take up any political posts post retirement. Here is what you should know about BR Gavai, and his views on various burning issues affecting Indian judiciary.
Appointed by President Draupadi Murmu on April 29, Justice Gavai will be taking over as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on May 14.
He will serve six months as the Supreme Court of India's chief justice, and will retire on November 23.
He was born on November 24, 1960 in a village of Amravati district in the western state of Maharashtra.
His father Ramkrishna Suryabhan Gavai, known popularly as Dadasaheb Gavai, was a veteran politician who served as governor of the states of Bihar, Sikkim and Kerala.
As a leader of the Ambedkarite movement, RS Gavai converted to Buddism and founded the Republican Party of India (Gavai). He was earlier the the president of Republican Party of India.
RS Gavai was also a member of both houses of Indian Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, besides serving in the Maharashtra local legislative council for 30 years, including as the leader of opposition.
Gavai practised in Constitutional Law and Administrative Law. He was Standing Counsel for Municipal Corporation of Nagpur, Amravati Municipal Corporation and Amravati University.
He appeared regularly for various autonomous bodies and Corporations like SICOM, DCVL, etc., and various Municipal Councils in the Vidarbha region.
Gavai was also appointed as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench, from August 1992 to July 1993.
He was appointed as Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench on 17th January, 2000. He was elevated as Additional Judge of the High Court on November 14, 2003.
Gavai became a permanent Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 12, 2005.
He presided over benches having all types of assignments at the Principal Seat at Mumbai as well as Benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad and Panaji.
Justice BR Gavai was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on May 24, 2019. Due to retire on November 23, 2025.
In the last six years, Justice BR Gavai was a part of around 700 Benches dealing with matters pertaining to a variety of subjects including constitutional and administrative law, civil law, criminal law, commercial disputes, arbitration law, electricity law, education matters, environmental law, etc.
Has authored around 300 judgments including Constitution Bench Judgements on various issues upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the fundamental rights, human rights and legal rights of citizens.
As a member of the five-judge Constitution Bench, BR Gavai played a significant role in the landmark judgment that validated the abrogation of Article 370, thereby revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and facilitating the reorganisation of the region.
Justice Gavai was also part of the bench in the high-profile contempt proceedings against senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, a case that addressed vital issues concerning free speech and judicial accountability.
Besides these, Justice Gavai wrote the majority opinion which upheld the Union’s 2016 Demonetisation Scheme.
