CJI Surya Kant to head Supreme Court collegium after predecessor Gavai demits office

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant will now head the five-member Supreme Court collegium as his predecessor Justice B R Gavai demitted office on Sunday.

The reconstitution of five and three-member collegium is a consequential event after the superannuation of former CJI Gavai on November 23.

Besides CJI Kant, the five-member collegium which selects apex court judges and decides on transfers of high court judges, would now comprise CJI Kant and Justices Vikram Nath, BV Nagarathna, JK Maheshwari and MM Sundresh.

The three-member collegium, which selects high court judges, will have the CJI and Justices Vikram Nath and BV Nagarathna as members.

Even though Justice Kant has a tenure of nearly 15 months as CJI, the collegium will undergo only one change when Justice Maheshwari retires on June 28, 2026. Justice PS Narasimha will become a member of the collegium. After CJI Kant retires, Justice JB Pardiwala will enter the collegium.

The collegium system is a process for appointing and transferring judges in higher judiciary.