His biggest judgments came before he ever became Chief Justice. Justice B.R. Gavai helped strike down electoral bonds and uphold the abrogation of Article 370, years before his own six-month term at the top. He is India’s first Chief Justice from the Buddhist community.
MCQ QuestionsPolity0194
Justice B.R. Gavai: The Judgments Came First
His constitutional legacy was set years before his own brief term as Chief Justice of India.
2019
Appointed to the Supreme Court
Sworn in as a Supreme Court judge on 24 May, after 16 years on the Bombay High Court.
2023-24
Landmark judgments
Sits on the Benches that uphold the Article 370 abrogation, and strike down electoral bonds.
May 2025
Sworn in as 52nd CJI
Becomes India’s first Chief Justice from the Buddhist community, and the second Dalit CJI.
Nov 2025
Retires as CJI
Steps down after a six-month term, succeeded by Justice Surya Kant.
The pattern: His landmark judgments came before he became CJI, not during his brief six-month term at the top. His mark on constitutional law was already set before he ever wore the Chief’s robes.
Indian Polity and Constitutionmcqquestion.com
Must Know
- Justice B.R. Gavai, full name Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, was born on 24 November 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra.
- He served as a judge of the Bombay High Court from 2003 to 2019. He then served as a judge of the Supreme Court of India, from 24 May 2019 to 13 May 2025.
- He was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India, on 14 May 2025. He was the first CJI from the Buddhist community, and only the second Dalit (Scheduled Caste) CJI, after K.G. Balakrishnan.
- He retired as CJI on 23 November 2025, and was succeeded by Justice Surya Kant. As of 2026, he is a former Chief Justice of India, not the sitting one.
- He was part of the five-judge Constitution Bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370, in a December 2023 ruling.
- He was also part of the Constitution Bench that struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme, in February 2024. The Court ruled it violated citizens’ right to information.
Good to Know
- He co-authored a ruling that condemned “bulldozer” demolitions of accused persons’ homes, carried out without following due legal process.
- He was part of the seven-judge Bench in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh. This ruling allowed sub-classification within Scheduled Castes, for more targeted affirmative action.
- In 2023, he was part of the Bench that stayed Rahul Gandhi’s conviction, in a criminal defamation case.
- His father, R.S. Gavai, was himself a prominent Dalit-rights leader and politician.
- See Polity0184 — Supreme Court of India and Polity0083 — Judicial Activism in India for broader context on the Court’s constitutional role.
Test Yourself
Great to Know
- His landmark judgments came before he became CJI, not during his brief six-month term at the top. His mark on constitutional law was already set before he ever wore the Chief’s robes.
- As of January 2025, three sitting Supreme Court judges came from Scheduled Castes, the highest such representation in the Court’s history. Justice Gavai was among them.
- He and fellow judge Prasanna Varale were both Buddhist. That made it the first time two Buddhist judges sat on the Supreme Court together.
Current Affairs
- 14 July 2026: Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan released the book “The Voice of Justice: Justice Gavai Speaks,” at Uprashtrapati Bhavan. The book gathers Justice Gavai’s speeches, lectures, and reflections. It was edited by Prof. S. Sivakumar, and published by Thomson Reuters with the Commonwealth Legal Education Association. The sitting Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, attended the event, alongside Justice Gavai himself. (Source: PIB)
- 14 July 2026: At the release, the Vice President called the Constitution “a living and evolving document.” He said restraint is as important as authority, in a constitutional democracy. He also appealed to lawyers to periodically offer free legal aid to the poorest. (Source: PIB)
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