New Delhi, May 13 : Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna will retire on Tuesday, marking the end of his tenure as the 51st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He assumed office on November 10, 2024, and retires after serving in the apex position for six months.
Justice Khanna has formally recommended Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, the second-most senior judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor. The recommendation was made to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, and once accepted by President Murmu, Justice Gavai will be sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India. As per judicial tradition, Justice Khanna will sit on a ceremonial bench, alongside his successor. The Supreme Court Bar Association is set to bid farewell to the outgoing Chief Justice in a formal ceremony, during which Justice Khanna is expected to deliver his farewell address. Justice Gavai was elevated to the Supreme Court on May 24, 2019. At the age of 64, he is scheduled to hold the top judicial post until November 23, 2025, when he turns 65, the retirement age for Supreme Court judges. A native of Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began his legal career on March 16, 1985.