The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the head of the judiciary system of India and the Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal in the country. As the first among equals in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice holds a position of great constitutional authority and responsibility. Appointed by the President of India, the CJI is usually the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as per convention.
The role of the Chief Justice goes beyond presiding over court proceedings; it includes the administration of the Supreme Court, allocation of cases, and constitution of benches. The CJI also plays a vital role in upholding the Constitution of India, interpreting laws, and ensuring justice is delivered fairly and efficiently.
The position was established under Article 124 of the Indian Constitution, which provides for the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice. The tenure of a Chief Justice is not fixed by the Constitution, but they serve until the age of 65 years.
The Chief Justice also has an influential voice in judicial appointments and transfers through the Collegium System, and holds an important role in safeguarding the independence of the judiciary.
🏛 List of Chief Justices of India (1950 – Present)
| No. | Name | Term Start | Term End |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harilal Jekisundas Kania | 26 Jan 1950 | 6 Nov 1951 |
| 2 | M. Patanjali Sastri | 7 Nov 1951 | 3 Jan 1954 |
| 3 | Mehr Chand Mahajan | 4 Jan 1954 | 22 Dec 1954 |
| 4 | Bijan Kumar Mukherjea | 23 Dec 1954 | 31 Jan 1956 |
| 5 | Sudhi Ranjan Das | 1 Feb 1956 | 30 Sep 1959 |
| 6 | Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha | 1 Oct 1959 | 31 Jan 1964 |
| 7 | P. B. Gajendragadkar | 1 Feb 1964 | 15 Mar 1966 |
| 8 | Amal Kumar Sarkar | 16 Mar 1966 | 29 Jun 1966 |
| 9 | Koka Subba Rao | 30 Jun 1966 | 11 Apr 1967 |
| 10 | Kailas Nath Wanchoo | 12 Apr 1967 | 24 Feb 1968 |
| 11 | Mohammad Hidayatullah | 25 Feb 1968 | 16 Dec 1970 |
| 12 | Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah | 17 Dec 1970 | 21 Jan 1971 |
| 13 | Sarv Mittra Sikri | 22 Jan 1971 | 25 Apr 1973 |
| 14 | Ajit Nath Ray | 26 Apr 1973 | 28 Jan 1977 |
| 15 | Mirza Hameedullah Beg | 29 Jan 1977 | 21 Feb 1978 |
| 16 | Y. V. Chandrachud | 22 Feb 1978 | 11 Jul 1985 |
| 17 | P. N. Bhagwati | 12 Jul 1985 | 20 Dec 1986 |
| 18 | R. S. Pathak | 21 Dec 1986 | 18 Jun 1989 |
| 19 | E. S. Venkataramiah | 19 Jun 1989 | 17 Dec 1989 |
| 20 | Sabyasachi Mukharji | 18 Dec 1989 | 25 Sep 1990 |
| 21 | Ranganath Misra | 26 Sep 1990 | 24 Nov 1991 |
| 22 | K. N. Singh | 25 Nov 1991 | 12 Dec 1991 |
| 23 | M. H. Kania | 13 Dec 1991 | 17 Nov 1992 |
| 24 | L. M. Sharma | 18 Nov 1992 | 11 Feb 1993 |
| 25 | M. N. Venkatachaliah | 12 Feb 1993 | 24 Oct 1994 |
| 26 | A. M. Ahmadi | 25 Oct 1994 | 24 Mar 1997 |
| 27 | J. S. Verma | 25 Mar 1997 | 17 Jan 1998 |
| 28 | M. M. Punchhi | 18 Jan 1998 | 9 Oct 1998 |
| 29 | A. S. Anand | 10 Oct 1998 | 31 Oct 2001 |
| 30 | S. P. Bharucha | 1 Nov 2001 | 5 May 2002 |
| 31 | B. N. Kirpal | 6 May 2002 | 7 Nov 2002 |
| 32 | G. B. Pattanaik | 8 Nov 2002 | 18 Dec 2002 |
| 33 | V. N. Khare | 19 Dec 2002 | 1 May 2004 |
| 34 | S. Rajendra Babu | 2 May 2004 | 31 May 2004 |
| 35 | R. C. Lahoti | 1 Jun 2004 | 31 Oct 2005 |
| 36 | Y. K. Sabharwal | 1 Nov 2005 | 13 Jan 2007 |
| 37 | K. G. Balakrishnan | 14 Jan 2007 | 12 May 2010 |
| 38 | S. H. Kapadia | 12 May 2010 | 28 Sep 2012 |
| 39 | Altamas Kabir | 29 Sep 2012 | 18 Jul 2013 |
| 40 | P. Sathasivam | 19 Jul 2013 | 26 Apr 2014 |
| 41 | R. M. Lodha | 27 Apr 2014 | 27 Sep 2014 |
| 42 | H. L. Dattu | 28 Sep 2014 | 2 Dec 2015 |
| 43 | T. S. Thakur | 3 Dec 2015 | 3 Jan 2017 |
| 44 | J. S. Khehar | 4 Jan 2017 | 27 Aug 2017 |
| 45 | Dipak Misra | 28 Aug 2017 | 2 Oct 2018 |
| 46 | Ranjan Gogoi | 3 Oct 2018 | 17 Nov 2019 |
| 47 | Sharad Arvind Bobde | 18 Nov 2019 | 23 Apr 2021 |
| 48 | N. V. Ramana | 24 Apr 2021 | 26 Aug 2022 |
| 49 | U. U. Lalit | 27 Aug 2022 | 8 Nov 2022 |
| 50 | D. Y. Chandrachud | 9 Nov 2022 | 10 Nov 2024 (expected) |
| 51 | Sanjiv Khanna | 11 Nov 2024 | Present |