Keeping with tradition, Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been endorsed as the next Chief Justice of India by present CJI Dipak Misra, according to reports.

News18 quotes a source in the Supreme Court as saying,

“The CJI’s letter maintains the continuity… there are no surprises there as to who will be the next CJI. Convention has been followed.”

It has been a longstanding convention in the Supreme Court for the outgoing CJI to recommend his successor. As per the seniority list, Justice Ranjan Gogoi is the second senior most judge, and is naturally assumed to take up the post once CJI Misra retires on October 2 this year.

If true, the news will put to bed speculation as to whether CJI Dipak Misra would recommend Justice Gogoi’s name as the next CJI. Questions regarding the same in light of Justice Gogoi’s participation in the infamous Judges Press Conference that took place earlier this year.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi was elevated to the Supreme Court on April 23, 2012. He was appointed as a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001. He was later transferred to the Punjab & Haryana High Court on September 9, 2010, and subsequently elevated as Chief Justice of that High Court on February 12, 2011.

Once appointed, Justice Gogoi will become the first Chief Justice of India from the North-East of India. His term will last till November 17, 2019.