Justice B.R. Gavai

His biggest judgments came before he became Chief Justice. Justice B.R. Gavai helped strike down electoral bonds and uphold the end of Article 370, years before his own six-month term at the top. He is India’s first Chief Justice from the Buddhist community.

1Chapter 1: The Career

Must Know

Early life and rise

• Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai was born on 24 November 1960 in Amravati, Maharashtra.
• He was a judge of the Bombay High Court from 2003 to 2019.
• He then served on the Supreme Court from 24 May 2019 to 13 May 2025.

Chief Justice of India

• He was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice on 14 May 2025.
• He was the first CJI from the Buddhist community.
• He was only the second Dalit (Scheduled Caste) CJI, after K.G. Balakrishnan.
• He retired on 23 November 2025 and was succeeded by Justice Surya Kant.
• So as of 2026, he is a former Chief Justice, not the sitting one.

Landmark Benches before CJI

• December 2023: he sat on the five-judge Constitution Bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370.
• February 2024: he sat on the Constitution Bench that struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme.
• The Court held the scheme violated citizens’ right to information.
• His landmark judgments came before his brief six-month term as CJI.

2Chapter 2: Key Judgments

Good to Know

The bulldozer ruling

• On 13 November 2024, he co-authored a ruling that condemned “bulldozer” demolitions of accused persons’ homes without due process.
• The Court held that only guilt proven in court, not a mere accusation, can justify punishing someone this way.
• The ruling set specific rules.
• A 15-day notice must be given before any demolition.
• The person gets a personal hearing.
• An official who skips this process can be held personally responsible for rebuilding the property and paying damages.

Sub-classification within Scheduled Castes

• He was part of the seven-judge Bench in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh.
• That ruling allowed sub-classification within Scheduled Castes, for more targeted affirmative action.

Rahul Gandhi and family background

• 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 a prominent Dalit-rights leader and politician.

Representation milestones

• January 2025: three sitting Supreme Court judges came from Scheduled Castes, the highest such number in the Court’s history. Justice Gavai was among them.
• He and fellow judge Prasanna Varale were both Buddhist, the first time two Buddhist judges sat on the Supreme Court together.

Read more

• The Supreme Court and Judicial Activism in India explain the Court’s constitutional role.
• Electoral Bonds Scheme Struck Down covers the 2024 ruling.
• Judges of the Supreme Court of India lists the roster he served among.

3Chapter 3: Current Affairs

Current Affairs

A book of his speeches

• On 14 July 2026, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan released “The Voice of Justice: Justice Gavai Speaks” at Upa-Rashtrapati 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 CJI, Justice Surya Kant, attended, alongside Justice Gavai himself. (Source: PIB, 14 Jul 2026.)

The Vice President’s remarks

• The Vice President called the Constitution “a living and evolving document”.
• He said restraint is as important as authority in a constitutional democracy.
• He appealed to lawyers to offer free legal aid to the poorest from time to time. (Source: PIB, 14 Jul 2026.)

Quick Q&A

• Gavai born? 24 November 1960.
• CJI term? 14 May – 23 Nov 2025.
• Successor? Surya Kant.
• Bulldozer ruling date? 13 Nov 2024.
• Notice before demolition? 15 days.