The Central Government has initiated the process to appoint the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) by seeking a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium. The Ministry of Law and Justice has sent a letter to the Chief Justice, requesting a formal recommendation for the name of his successor.
The current Chief Justice, B. R. Gavai, is set to retire on November 23. As per established convention, the next Chief Justice is usually appointed from among the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. In line with this seniority, Justice Surya Kant is likely to be the next Chief Justice of India.
Before the appointment, the Collegium must recommend a name to the Central Government, which holds the final authority for the appointment. In this process, the Collegium first consults all sitting judges of the Supreme Court before forwarding its recommendation to the government.
The name of the new Chief Justice must be sent to the government at the earliest to ensure a smooth transition.
