CJI-designate BR Gavai sets priorities for six-month tenure: Focus on pendency, case listing

Justice BR Gavai is set to become the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) on May 14, succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who retired on May 13. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office to Justice Gavai. Justice Gavai’s tenure as Chief Justice will be approximately six months, concluding with his retirement on November 23, 2025. As Chief Justice, Justice Gavai is expected to uphold justice and equality, bringing extensive experience from the Supreme Court and a deep understanding of constitutional law. As CJI, he has outlined his priorities with a foremost focus on tackling case pendency across courts in India.

In an interview with Bar and Bench, Justice Gavai emphasised his commitment to social and economic justice and shared his priorities as CJI, including addressing delays in judicial appointments, promoting transparency, and tackling corruption in the judiciary.  “I have decided that I would like to work on the pendency of cases, right from the bottom level to the Supreme Court,” he said.

Justice Gavai also highlighted the need to improve infrastructure, particularly in lower courts. “So far as High Courts are concerned, the infrastructure is very good. However, it is still a big problem for lower courts,” he noted. He highlighted case listing as a major issue contributing to pendency, stating, “Listing is a problem – bifurcation of days into miscellaneous and regular days… That increases the pendency of regular matters.” He plans to address this by discussing with colleagues and finding solutions, saying, “Immediately after taking the oath, I will have wide-ranging discussions with all my colleagues, try first to find out what the emerging problems are and then also address them.” 

He also intends to prioritize significant cases, noting, “I want to take up some three-judge bench matters and constitutional matters that will affect a large number of matters… help with the reduction of pendency.” Justice Gavai plans to work with the government to expedite pending judicial appointments, which have been delayed due to the Centre’s inaction. “We’ll try to work with the executive… We will certainly address this issue through dialogue because ultimately, the number of vacancies also has a direct relation to the pending cases,” he said.

Meanwhile, Justice BR Gavai also shared his perspectives on key issues, emphasising the importance of diversity in the judiciary, stating that it brings valuable insights from different sections of society. He also highlighted the need for judicial independence, saying judges should decide cases based on their conscience, unaffected by external criticism. Additionally, he expressed indifference to social media trolling, and underscored the Supreme Court’s continued investment in Artificial Intelligence and technology. He also confirmed that he will not accept any post-retirement jobs.