Surya Kant

Justice Surya Kant studied law at Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak and began practising at the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1985, subsequently serving as Advocate General of Haryana and being designated Senior Advocate in 2001.

He was elevated to the Punjab and Haryana High Court bench on 9 January 2004 and served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from October 2018 before his Supreme Court appointment on 24 May 2019.

He assumed office as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on 24 November 2025 and is set to retire on 9 February 2027. His docket has concentrated in criminal matters (35%), motor vehicle disputes (12%), service law (8%), and insurance (6%).

Notable rulings include affirming that water body extinguishment schemes violate Article 21, and clarifying that Section 57 IPC does not cap a life sentence at 20 years.