Leaving with contentment having done what I could do for nation, says outgoing CJI B R Gavai

New Delhi: Outgoing Chief Justice of India Justice B R Gavai on Friday said he was leaving the institution “with a full sense of satisfaction and contentment” and as a “student of justice” on conclusion of his journey as a lawyer and a judge that spanned nearly four decades. During the farewell proceedings before the ceremonial bench that also comprised CJI-designate Surya Kant and Justice K Vinod Chandran, the CJI said, “After listening to all of you, and particularly the poems of Attorney General (R Venkataramani) and Kapil Sibal and the warm sentiments expressed by all of you, my voice is choking with emotions.” “When I leave this courtroom for the last time …, I leave this court all with full sense of satisfaction, the full sense of contentment that I have done whatever which I could have done for this country…Thank you. Thank you very much," a visibly emotional Gavai said in the courtroom packed with law officers, senior advocates, and young lawyers.

The proceedings saw colleagues reminiscing the imprint Justice Gavai, the second Dalit after K G Balakrishnan and first Buddhist CJI, left on the judiciary. “I always believe that everybody, every judge, every lawyer, is governed by the principles on which our Constitution works that is equality, justice, liberty, and fraternity and I tried to discharge my duties within the four corners of the Constitution that is so dear to all of us,” he said. Justice Gavai, who was sworn in on May 14 for over six-month tenure as the CJI, would demit office on November 23, 2025 and Friday was his last working day. Reflecting on his journey, the CJI said, “When I joined the (legal) profession in 1985, I entered the school of law. Today, as I demit the office, I do so as a student of justice.”

He described his over 40-year journey, from a lawyer, to high court judge, to Supreme Court judge, and finally Chief Justice of India, as “deeply satisfying”. Every public office, he said, must be viewed not as one of power but as “an opportunity to serve society and the nation.” Referring to his admiration for Dr B R Ambedkar and his father, a politician who was a close associate of the Constitution’s chief architect, he said his judicial philosophy was shaped by Ambedkar’s commitment to social, economic, and political justice. “I always tried to balance fundamental rights with the Directive Principles of State Policy,” he said, noting many of his judgments strived to harmonise constitutional freedom with the needs of sustainable development and environmental protection. Quoting the judicial principle that “a judge must not alter the material but may iron out the creases”, Gavai said it was a guiding philosophy throughout his tenure. On his simple way of writing judgements, he said, “I always believe that judgments should be written for the end consumers. I do not have a flair for academics or literature…”.

He noted that environment matters have been close to his heart and spoke about his long association with environmental, ecological, and wildlife issues. “In all these years, I tried to protect the rights of citizens while ensuring that the environment and wildlife were preserved,” he said. On the issue of administering the top court, he said, “All decisions I took as CJI were taken collectively… I believed we must function as an institution.” Showering praise on CJI Gavai, Justice Kant said, “He was more than a colleague …he was my brother and a confidant, and a man of immense integrity”. “He handled cases with patience and dignity. He encouraged young lawyers. His firmness was always laced with humour…Not a single day went by when he didn’t threaten an insistent lawyer with costs, but he never imposed one,” he said. Attorney General Venkataramani invoked the Marathi meaning of “Bhushan”, ornament or adornment, and said Justice Gavai had adorned the judiciary and the world of law. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta recalled meeting him as a puisne judge, and said “You never changed as a human being.” The law officer praised the “fresh breeze of Indianness” in recent judgments, noting that the Constitution Bench decision on governors was grounded entirely in indigenous jurisprudence. “Judgment should be a judgment, not an article for a law review,” he said. SCBA president Vikas Singh recounted Gavai’s simplicity, recalling his remark that he did not take security to his village and that “If someone is killing me in my own village, I do not deserve to live.” Senior advocate Kapil Sibal applauded the outgoing CJI’s journey as a jurist and said his appointment to the apex court was a symbol of “enormous social churning” that has taken place in this country. Sibal said his journey has shown that a man can reach the highest pinnacle of his judicial career and yet retain the simplicity of a common man. Justice Gavai was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003. He became a permanent judge of the high court on November 12, 2005. He became a SC judge on May 24, 2019. He joined the bar on March 16, 1985 and was the standing counsel for the Municipal Corporation of Nagpur, Amravati Municipal Corporation and Amravati University.