Justice Surya Kant, part of poll bond, Article 370 verdicts, set to be next CJI, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• Justice Surya Kant has been recommended by current CJI B.R. Gavai to be the next Chief Justice of India [53rd].
• CJI Gavai sent the recommendation to Justice Kant on Monday after returning from an official trip to Bhutan.
• Justice Gavai is scheduled to retire on November 24.
• Justice Kant was part of the Supreme Court benches that decided on the abrogation of Article 370 and the electoral bonds scheme.
• Justice Kant is due to retire on February 9, 2027.

Detailed Insights:

• The recommendation follows the Memorandum of Procedure, where the Union Law Ministry seeks the outgoing CJI's recommendation for the next appointment.
• Justice Kant was also involved in key cases such as the Pegasus spyware case and the suspension of the sedition law.
• Justice Kant became the youngest Advocate-General of Haryana on July 7, 2000, and was designated as a senior advocate in March 2001.
• He was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004, and as Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in October 2018.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Article 370: Granted special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, later revoked.
• Electoral Bonds: A financial instrument for making donations to political parties in India.
• Sedition Law: Law criminalizing speech and expression that incite disaffection against the government.