New CJI Surya Kant Signals Era of Reform, Indian Legal Philosophy

Justice Surya Kant was today sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in a ceremony marked by global judicial participation, symbolism, and a strong Indian ethos. Taking his oath in Hindi, Justice Kant signalled a shift towards deeper reliance on Indian jurisprudence rather than colonial-era legal frameworks.

With a tenure lasting till February 9, 2027, Justice Kant steps into the highest judicial office with a clear vision: cut down pendency, strengthen grassroots access to justice, and modernise judicial functioning through Indian legal traditions and values.

Born on 10 February 1962 in Hisar, Haryana, to a modest middle-class family, Justice Surya Kant’s rise is a story of dedication, academic brilliance, and constitutional commitment.

Graduated from Government Post Graduate College, Hisar (1981), Law degree from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak (1984) he began practice at Hisar District Court; shifted to Punjab & Haryana HC in 1985

He specialized in Constitutional, Civil, and Service jurisprudence and was appointed youngest Advocate General of Haryana (2000).

He was designated Senior Advocate in 2001 and elevated as Judge, Punjab & Haryana HC in January 2004 and elevated as the Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh HC in 2018. He was appointed to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019.

Justice Surya Kant has also served as Chairman, Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) since 2024, earned distinction of First Class First in LL.M. (2011, Kurukshetra University)

Justice Kant has had a significant and long-standing association with NALSA: serving two consecutive terms on NALSA’s governing body, shaping policies on: Legal aid delivery, Strengthening Lok Adalats and expanding access in rural and marginalized pockets.

His most impactful contribution came as Executive Chairman of NALSA, where he launched a landmark nationwide initiative for armed forces personnel and their families, ensuring legal aid and counselling.

He has also pushed for tech-enabled legal aid services in remote areas, expanded legal services for women, senior citizens, and undertrial prisoners.

Justice Kant’s NALSA tenure is widely regarded as people-centric, innovative, and reformist.

He also has the distinction of being part of several historic constitutional and governance-related judgments, including -- upholding abrogation of Article 370, placing the sedition law in abeyance, and ordering a probe into the Pegasus spyware case, where the famous dictum “State cannot get a free pass on national security” was made.

He was on the 7-judge bench that reconsidered the AMU's minority status. He also struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme, nudged EC to disclose 65 lakh missing voters in Bihar rolls, initiated scrutiny of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral lists.

Justice Surya Kant was also recently part of the bench deciding the Presidential Reference on assent powers of Governors and the President.

He directed 33 per cent reservation for women in bar associations, reinstated a woman sarpanch, calling out gender bias with rare judicial clarity and continued hearings on women officers’ parity in the armed forces.

On the eve of taking charge, Justice Surya Kant held an informal media interaction at his official residence. Calm, composed, and focused, he made his priorities clear.

With 90,000 cases in the Supreme Court and 5 crore cases nationwide, he called pendency “the most urgent concern.”

“I will not blame anyone. That is irrelevant. The focus must be on solutions,” the Judge declared.

He emphasized that thousands of cases in lower courts remain stalled because core legal questions remain undecided in the Supreme Court. His strategy is to constitute multiple 7-judge and 9-judge benches.

“We will prioritise identifying core cases whose decisions will unlock thousands of pending matters across the country,” Justice Kant said, adding, “Judges decide on facts and law. Social media trolls do not influence us.”

By taking oath in Hindi, he indicated a commitment to the Indian constitutional philosophy, Indian statutes over colonial remnants and people-centric justice rather than technical legacy doctrines.

Justice Surya Kant’s oath has not just elevated a judge, it has ushered in a judicial philosophy.

His tenure promises, reduction in pending cases, strengthening constitutional benches, gender-inclusive bar associations, strong legal aid mechanisms, greater reliance on Indian legal principles and transparent, tech-enabled justice delivery.