Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna retires today

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna will retire on Tuesday, 13 May, marking the end of his tenure as the 51st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

He assumed office on 10 November 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.

Outgoing Chief Justice of India , #SanjivKhanna meets President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. pic.twitter.com/XyS59HxkC9

— Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaala) May 7, 2025

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 24 May 2019.

At the age of 64, he is scheduled to hold the top judicial post until 23 November 2025, when he turns 65, the retirement age for Supreme Court judges.

A native of Amravati, Maharashtra, Justice Gavai began his legal career on 16 March 1985. He trained under Raja S. Bhonsale, a former Advocate General and High Court judge. After 1990, he focussed his legal practice at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, with special emphasis on Constitutional and Administrative Law.

He has held several key public legal positions, including assistant government pleader, additional public prosecutor, and later government pleader and public prosecutor for the Nagpur Bench.

Justice Gavai’s elevation will mark a significant moment in the judiciary, not just for his experience but also as one of the few Chief Justices from a Scheduled Caste background, reflecting the growing inclusivity within the Indian judiciary.