In an unusual and diplomatically significant moment for the Indian judiciary, more than a dozen foreign judges and Chief Justices will attend the swearing-in of Chief Justice of India-designate Surya Kant on Monday, November 24, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Officials involved in the preparations confirmed to Bar & Bench that this would be the first such instance when such a large international judicial delegation will be present at the oath ceremony of an Indian Chief Justice.

Justice Surya Kant is slated to take oath as 53rd CJI after a long judicial career marked by significant constitutional rulings, work on institutional reforms and a sustained focus on legal aid delivery.

Before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2019, he served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

The government has circulated the full list of foreign judicial dignitaries who will be present at the ceremony. The delegation includes Chief Justices, Supreme Court judges and accompanying family members from Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Foreign delegates attending the ceremony are:

BHUTAN

• Justice Lyonpo Norbu Tshering, Chief Justice of Bhutan;

• Lhaden Lotay, spouse of Chief Justice of Bhutan.

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 of Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia

MAURITIUS

• Justice Bibi Rehana Mungly-Gulbul, Chief Justice of Mauritius

• Rebecca Hanna Bibi Gulbul, daughter of the Chief Justice of Mauritius

NEPAL

• Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Chief Justice of Nepal;

• Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, Judge, Supreme Court of Nepal;

• Ashok Bahadur Malla, spouse of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla;

• Anil Kumar Sinha, former Judge, Supreme Court of Nepal and currently Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Nepal;

• Ursila Sinha, spouse of Anil Kumar Sinha.

SRI LANKA

• Justice P Padman Surasena, Chief Justice of Sri Lanka;

• Sepalika Surasena, spouse of the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka;

• Justice S. Thurairaja, PC, Judge, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka;

• Sasikala Thurairaja, spouse of Justice S. Thurairaja;

• Justice AHMD Nawaz, Judge, Supreme Court of Sri Lanka;

• Rizan Mohamed Dhlip Nawaz, spouse of Justice AHMD Nawaz.