Justice Surya Kant steps in as new Chief Justice, aims to clear case backlog

India Nov 22, 2025

Justice Surya Kant is set to become India's next Chief Justice on November 24, 2025.
He's making it a priority to tackle the Supreme Court's huge pile-up of nearly 90,000 cases and wants to boost mediation as a faster way to resolve disputes.
He takes over from CJI BR Gavai, who retires just a day earlier.

How he plans to make a difference

Appointed by President Droupadi Murmu, Justice Kant settled 1,200 land dispute cases in Delhi with one judgment.
He'll be asking high and trial courts for updates on pending cases and believes judges shouldn't let social media criticism get to them.
His focus: keeping the courts moving until his term ends in February 2027.