Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, who is set to demit office on November 23, on Thursday reflected his remarks on personal convictions, professional journey, and institutional philosophy. 

During a valedictory ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), the CJI observed that although his personal spiritual practice is rooted in Buddhism, he has never undertaken formal theological scholarship. 

He emphasised that his orientation remained thoroughly secular, noting that he accorded equal esteem to major religious traditions of India, including Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity, an outlook he attributed to the inclusive ethos imparted by his father, who drew inspiration from Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Gavai recounted that his early exposure to diverse faith practices, such as visits to syncretic religious sites, shaped his pluralist worldview.

A visual tribute chronicling his professional life was displayed during the event, which marked his final public engagement before retirement.

Belonging to a Dalit background, the Chief Justice highlighted the transformative role of the Constitution and Ambedkarite thought in his ascent through the judicial hierarchy. 

He reflected that his trajectory—from attending a municipal school to presiding over the Supreme Court—was made possible by the constitutional framework’s guarantees of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. 

He stressed that whatever he accomplished during his six-month tenure as Chief Justice and his six-and-a-half years on the apex court Bench was a product of institutional support rather than individual achievement.

Discussing the administrative philosophy of the Court, he underscored that the Supreme Court must not function under a model of ‘CJI-centrality’. 

According to him, adjudicatory and administrative decisions should be institutional, routed through full-court deliberation and executed with participation from all stakeholders—the Bar, the Registry, and the court’s administrative staff. He also noted that bodies such as the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and SCAORA must be integrated into consultations on issues affecting the legal profession.

SCAORA President Vipin Nair expressed gratitude for the Chief Justice’s prompt suo motu cognisance of concerns about investigative agencies summoning advocates in relation to legal advice provided to clients. 

The Supreme Court’s ruling of October 31 clarified that agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate cannot compel lawyers to appear for questioning except in narrowly defined exceptional circumstances—an intervention Nair described as a lasting contribution to the independence of the Bar.

Attorney General R Venkataramani commended the Chief Justice’s measured handling of an incident in which a lawyer aligned with a Hindutva group had hurled a shoe at the Bench.

He appreciated the CJI’s handling of a recent courtroom disturbance in which an advocate aligned with a right-wing organisation had hurled a shoe toward the Bench. The AG explained that despite the considerable volume of representations seeking sanction for prosecution under penal provisions, the CJI’s response was marked by judicial restraint, objectivity, and constitutional composure. By avoiding reactionary measures and maintaining the dignity of the office, the Chief Justice, he noted, demonstrated adherence to judicial discipline and the established principle that courts must respond even to provocation in a manner consistent with institutional credibility, procedural fairness, and the broader constitutional mandate.

Throughout his address, CJI Gavai reiterated that the judiciary’s legitimacy rests not solely on the content of its decisions but also on adherence to constitutional morality, principled administration, and an unwavering commitment to secular and plural values that underpin the democratic structure of the Republic.

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