From Prison Reforms to Article 370 Verdict: Justice Surya Kant Leaves Strong Mark on Indian Judiciary
Justice Surya Kant serves as the head of the Supreme Court of India and the highest-ranking official of the Indian judiciary, currently holding the office of the 53rd Chief Justice of India. He was born in 1962 in the village of Petwar, located in the Hisar district of Haryana. In 1984, he completed his graduation in Law from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak; subsequently, in 2011, he secured the first position with First Class honors in his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Kurukshetra University. Prior to becoming a judge, he served as a Senior Advocate and also held the position of Advocate General for the State of Haryana. Positions Held January 9, 2004: Appointed as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. February 23, 2007: Nominated as a Member of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) for two terms. October 5, 2018: Took the oath as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. May 9, 2019: The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, recommended his elevation to the Supreme Court of India. May 24, 2019: Took the oath as a Judge of the Supreme Court. Notable Work Justice Surya Kant has delivered significant judgments concerning human rights, gender justice, legal education, and prison reforms. During his tenure at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he issued directives to the State of Punjab to constitute a Prison Reforms Committee, aimed at formulating a scheme to facilitate conjugal and family visits for prison inmates. His notable contributions include upholding the constitutional validity of the Electoral Bonds Scheme, adjudicating the Pegasus spyware case, ordering the suspension of the Sedition Law, and ruling on the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which revoked the special status previously accorded to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Honors and Awards Maharshi Dayanand University Honor: In 2026, Maharshi Dayanand University conferred the ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ upon Justice Surya Kant—a former student of the institution—in recognition of his impartiality, human sensitivity, and unwavering faith in the Constitution. Delhi High Court Bar Association Honor: He was felicitated by the Delhi High Court Bar Association on the occasion of his appointment as the 53rd Chief Justice of India.