Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra sworn-in as Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief justice, CM Mann remains absent
PTC News Desk: Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday. He was administered the oath of office as the full-time Chief Justice by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
The Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, had recommended Justice Mishra’s appointment on August 6. Justice Mishra was appointed as Chief Justice without waiting for the Punjab Government’s response, a move that triggered a Centre-State dispute.
Who is Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra ?
Justice Mishra was enrolled as an advocate on May 8, 1993, and mainly handled civil, constitutional and service-related cases. During his legal career, he represented several government and public bodies, including NOIDA, Ghaziabad Development Authority, Allahabad Development Authority, IFFCO, Indian Oil Corporation and the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation.
He also appeared as senior counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government in several important cases. In 2013, he was designated a Senior Advocate.
Justice Mishra was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2014, and became a permanent judge on February 1, 2016. He served at the Allahabad High Court until July 20, 2025, when he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
One of the important cases heard by a Bench headed by Justice Mishra at the Allahabad High Court was the Nithari killings case, in which the court delivered its verdict in October 2023.
Controversy around his elevation
Justice Mishra's appointment became a major flashpoint after Punjab Cabinet passed a resolution objecting to his elevation as Chief Justice. The Cabinet also appealed to the President, the Prime Minister and the Punjab Governor to not administer the oath of office to Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra until the state government gives its consent.
Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain had described the controversy over the Punjab government’s objection to the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as “very unfortunate” and completely unnecessary.
Jain said the appointment was made by the President of India, the highest constitutional authority under Article 217(1) of the Constitution. He said there is a fixed procedure for the appointment of judges, known as the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), and the entire process was followed before Justice Mishra’s appointment.
- PTC NEWS
