Justice BR Gavai Biography: Meet The Next Chief Justice of India; All About His Early Life, Education, And More

Biography:  Justice Bhushan Ramkrishnan Gava is next in line to take the oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India, succeeding the incumbent CJI Sanjeev Khanna in May 2025. This will make Justice Gavai the second Dalit individual to hold the position. However, he will hold the chair as the CJI for only six months as his retirement is due in November. Here is all we know about Justice BR Gavai. 

Justice BR Gavai Biography 

Justice BR Gavai was born on 24 November 1960, in Amravati, Maharashtra. He went to the Nagpur University to pursue law and acquire his degrees in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (B.A.LL.B). 

Born in the family of Ambedkar’s followers, he is a follower of Buddhism. His father was a former MP and governor who led the Republican Party of India faction.

Career 

Justice Gavai’s career started in March 1985 when he joined the bar, working under the late Bar Council. Raja S. Bhonsale, former Advocate General and Judge of the High Court. 

In 1987, he started working independently at the Bombay High Court till 1990, practicing mainly before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court.

He focused on Constitutional and Administrative Law while representing several civic and educational bodies, including the Municipal Corporations of Nagpur and Amravati, Amravati University, and state-run corporations such as SICOM and DCVL. 

Justice Gavai was the Standing Counsel for the Municipal Corporation of Nagpur, the Amravati Municipal Corporation, and the Amravati University. 

From August 1992 to July 1993, he was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench.

On 14 November 2003, he was promoted as the Additional Judge of the High Court, and elevated to become a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court in 2005. 

In May 2019, he was elevated as the Judge of the Supreme Court of India. 

Notable Judgements 

Justice BR Gavai has been a part of numerous milestones and notable judgments of the country. 

In the 2023 Demonetisation case, Gavai agreed with the majority judgment that affirmed that the decision of the central government to demonetize the ₹500 and ₹1,000 bank notes was implemented within constitutional bounds. 

During the Article 370 verdict, Justice Gavai was a member of the five-judge panel playing a significant role in the abrogation of Article 370 and revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.