First 15 days: CJI Gavai's 6-month tenure off to a decisive start

Taking over the reins of the Indian judiciary on May 14, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai has begun his six-month tenure with a palpable sense of mission.

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI:

Though brief and interspersed with vacations, including the seven-week long summer recess (now defined as "partial court working days"), Dussehra and Diwali, justice Gavai has apparently chosen to act decisively by leveraging every available moment to drive change in how the Supreme Court functions administratively and institutionally.

Justice Gavai's first fortnight in office has been marked by strategic efforts to strengthen the judiciary's responsiveness, transparency and internal efficiency. Unlike some of his predecessors who took time to ease into the role, justice Gavai has demonstrated a preference for immediacy, prioritising long-pending matters, improving institutional communication and initiating structural corrections.

These decisions reflect a firm understanding of the challenges facing the higher judiciary and an eagerness to reinforce its public credibility. By tackling operational inertia and reviving collegium activity almost immediately, CJI Gavai has signalled that his term will not be a caretaker stint, but a hands-on stewardship dedicated to real impact.

The first 15 days of justice Gavai's tenure offer a compelling blueprint of his leadership style and priorities, best understood through the major themes that have defined his early decisions.

Judicial appointments and restructuring In a powerful opening act, CJI Gavai convened a collegium meeting on May 26 that swiftly resulted in an overhaul of key judicial positions across the country. Demonstrating urgency and clarity of vision, the collegium recommended the elevation of three high court judges - Justices NV Anjaria, Vijay Bishnoi and AS Chandurkar --to the Supreme Court.

The Union government acted promptly, notifying these appointments on May 30, completing the process in record time. With their swearing-in, the top court has reached its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges.