The swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice of India-designate Justice Surya Kant on November 24 is going to be historic, with a record number of Chief Justices and senior judges from several neighbouring nations attending the event, marking a watershed moment in India’s judicial diplomacy.
Scheduled to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the ceremony signals the country’s increasingly prominent role in the global rule-of-law architecture.
Officials involved in the ceremonial protocol confirmed that this would be the first occasion on which such a large and diverse contingent of foreign judicial luminaries would witness the oath of office of an Indian Chief Justice.
The presence of these dignitaries underscored the growing international stature of the Supreme Court of India as a constitutional court whose jurisprudence exerted influence across comparative constitutional law, public law adjudication, and transnational judicial dialogue.
Justice Surya Kant, who will assume office as the 53rd Chief Justice of India under Article 124(2) of the Constitution, brings to the apex office a distinguished and reform-oriented judicial record.
His body of work spans constitutional interpretation, administrative law, criminal procedure, environmental regulation, and socio-economic rights. He has contributed to jurisprudence reinforcing constitutional morality, due process, institutional accountability, and access to justice—values frequently invoked in seminal decisions such as Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, and S.R. Bommai v. Union of India.
His tenure has also been notable for initiatives aimed at strengthening legal aid architecture under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, bolstering judicial infrastructure, and enhancing transparency in court administration. Prior to his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2019, Justice Surya Kant served with distinction as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where he was widely commended for judicial efficiency, reasoned adjudication, and a citizen-centric approach to justice delivery.
The Union Government has released the complete list of foreign judicial dignitaries who will be present at this historic occasion. The delegation comprises Chief Justices, Supreme Court judges, and accompanying family members from Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Brazil — signalling deepening judicial cooperation and shared constitutional values across South Asia, the Commonwealth, and the broader international legal community.
Foreign Judicial Delegates Attending the Ceremony
Bhutan
• Justice Lyonpo Norbu Tshering, Chief Justice of Bhutan
• Lhaden Lotay, spouse
Kenya
• Justice Martha Koome, Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya
• Justice Susan Njoki Ndungu, Judge, Supreme Court of Kenya
Malaysia
• Justice Tan Sri Datuk Nalini Pathmanathan, Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia
• Pasupathy Sivapragasam, spouse
Mauritius
• Justice Bibi Rehana Mungly-Gulbul, Chief Justice of Mauritius
• Rebecca Hanna Bibi Gulbul, daughter
Nepal
• Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Chief Justice of Nepal
• Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, Judge, Supreme Court of Nepal
• Ashok Bahadur Malla, spouse
• Anil Kumar Sinha, former Judge, Supreme Court of Nepal; currently Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
• Ursila Sinha, spouse
Sri Lanka
• Justice P. Padman Surasena, Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
• Sepalika Surasena, spouse
• Justice S. Thurairaja, PC, Judge, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
• Sasikala Thurairaja, spouse
• Justice AHMD Nawaz, Judge, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
• Rizan Mohamed Dhlip Nawaz, spouse
Brazil
• Herman de Vasconcellos Benjamin, Senior Judge, Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Brazil
The wide-ranging international participation is being viewed as a testament to India’s expanding influence in global legal discourse, particularly in matters concerning constitutional governance, judicial independence, human rights adjudication, and democratic resilience.
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