Deepak Dwivedi
When Justice Surya Kant stepped into the grand Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan to take oath as India’s 53rd Chief Justice, the moment resonated far beyond ceremonial symbolism. It was the culmination of a remarkable journey that began not in elite legal circles but in a remote farming village in Haryana’s Hisar district – a journey driven by grit, discipline, empathy, and an unshakeable belief that justice must belong to everyone.
Born in 1962 in Peltan village, Surya Kant grew up in a household where resources were limited but values were abundant. His father, a Sanskrit teacher, nurtured in him a quiet discipline. The fields of rural Haryana taught him resilience – patience during drought, strength after loss, and the resolve to rebuild without complaint. These early lessons formed the moral architecture of his judicial mind: justice must be humane, fair, and rooted in lived realities.
Early brilliance
After earning an LLB from Maharshi Dayanand University in 1984, he began his practice in Hisar before shifting to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. His sharp articulation, clarity in constitutional matters, and command over service jurisprudence set him apart quickly. At 38, he became Haryana’s youngest Advocate General – a testimony to his early brilliance.
His judicial elevation in 2004, and later his tenure as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, marked him as a reform-oriented jurist. Long before digital reforms became national mandates, Justice Kant introduced e-courts, virtual hearings, and digital libraries in Himachal Pradesh – making justice accessible in mountainous, hard-to-reach regions. For him, technology was not an accessory; it was a constitutional tool to expand access.
In the Supreme Court, he authored over 50 impactful judgments ranging across constitutional interpretation, electoral transparency, minority rights, environmental accountability, and administrative fairness. His judgments reflect balance – principle aligned with pragmatism, doctrine aligned with humanity.
Vision for judiciary
Yet it is his vision for the judiciary, expressed with striking clarity after he assumed office, that most distinguishes him. “Speedy justice must not compromise fairness,” he says, “but delay must never be allowed to frustrate justice.” His commitment to reducing pendency is not procedural rhetoric – it is a moral stance that recognises how justice delayed destroys lives, especially of the poor and marginalised.
He has also taken a firm view on responsible free speech. While reaffirming it as a sacred right, he warns that abuse of this right undermines institutions and erodes social trust. “When duties fade, rights lose meaning,” he says, calling for a framework that protects dignity without stifling dissent.
Symbolically too, his elevation is historic – he is the first Chief Justice of India from Haryana. But Justice Kant, with characteristic humility, refuses to anchor his identity in geography. “The Supreme Court belongs to the nation, not to any state,” he says. “This appointment is not just my achievement – it belongs to everyone who walked this journey with me.”
At his oath ceremony, the presence of his school and college teachers from Pataudi and Hisar brought a moving authenticity to the moment. Former CJI BR Gavai, embracing him warmly, described him as “a person with rare judicial acumen.” Jurists, academics, and constitutional scholars have praised his clarity, administrative reforms, and his ability to make the law accessible to ordinary people.
At the crossroads
As he begins his 14-month tenure, Justice Kant confronts a judiciary at a crossroads – burdened by pendency, challenged by digital divides, and under heightened scrutiny. But he brings with him the courage of a farmer, the mind of a scholar, and the conscience of a people’s judge.
His message is unambiguous: justice must be fast, fair, fearless – and accessible to the last person standing in the queue. In a nation where citizens often feel powerless against systems, Justice Kant restores a powerful reminder of constitutional equality.
In a nation where citizens often feel powerless against systems, Justice Kant restores a powerful reminder of constitutional equality: Every Indian, regardless of status, can look their oppressor in the eye and say, with confidence – “I will see you in court.”
QUOTE:
“Justice is not the privilege of a few; it is the right of every individual. My foremost priority will be to ensure that justice becomes accessible swiftly and easily to the very last person standing in the queue”
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
