Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra Is Now Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court: 10 Things To Know
Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra is now Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court. Who he is, his term, retirement date, salary, and P&H HC’s CJ history — explained.
North Desk Correspondent
Chandigarh, August 9
The Supreme Court Collegium’s August 6, 2026 recommendation confirming Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court carries no element of surprise — he has been holding the fort as Acting Chief Justice at Chandigarh since June 1, 2026. But the appointment closes a long, quietly unusual chapter in his career. Here’s a explainer for those wondering who he is, and what changes now.
Who is Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra?
Born on November 16, 1968, he studied B.A. (Hons) Economics at Kirori Mal College and LL.B. at Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. He enrolled as an advocate on May 8, 1993, and built a practice on the civil, constitutional and service side at the Allahabad High Court — appearing for bodies like NOIDA, Ghaziabad Development Authority, IFFCO, IOC and UP Power Corporation, besides being engaged by the UP government in major matters. He was designated Senior Advocate in 2013.
- When did Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra first become a judge?
He took oath as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2014, and was confirmed as a permanent judge on February 1, 2016.
- When did he move to Punjab and Haryana?
Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court and joined here on July 21, 2025 — barely over a year before his elevation as regular Chief Justice.
- Wasn’t he already Acting Chief Justice here?
Yes. Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was appointed Acting Chief Justice on June 1, 2026, under Article 223, after then-Chief Justice Sheel Nagu was elevated to the Supreme Court. He has effectively been running the High Court’s administration for over two months already — so the Collegium’s recommendation formalises, rather than changes, the status quo. He had also briefly served as Acting Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court in 2023.
- How long did it take him to become a regular Chief Justice?
Twelve years, almost to the month — from taking oath as an Additional Judge on February 3, 2014, to being recommended as a full Chief Justice on August 6, 2026. He had become a senior advocate the previous year.
- When will his term as Chief Justice end?
High Court judges retire at 62. With his date of birth as November 16, 1968, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra will retire on November 15, 2030 — giving him a tenure of a little over four years as Chief Justice, once formally sworn in.
Supreme Court judges retire at 65. So if he is elevated to SC, it would extend his working tenure.
Justice Sheel Nagu, whose vacancy Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra now fills, followed exactly this route: Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana until his own Supreme Court elevation earlier this year. Sitting High Court Chief Justices are routinely in the reckoning for Supreme Court vacancies.
- How many Chief Justices has the Punjab & Haryana High Court had?
The court traces its unified lineage to 1966, when the erstwhile Punjab High Court was renamed Punjab and Haryana High Court with Justice Donald Falshaw’s successor era giving way to a long list of Chief Justices — including names like Justices Ranjit Singh Narula, Prakash Narain, Ranjan Gogoi (later CJI), Rajeev Sharma, Ravi Shankar Jha and, most recently, Sheel Nagu. Justice Mishra becomes the latest in a list stretching back nearly six decades.
- Has a woman ever headed the Punjab & Haryana High Court?
Not yet as a full, permanent Chief Justice. Justice Ritu Bahri came closest — she served as Acting Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana from October 2023 to February 2024, before going on to become the first woman Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. No woman has held the substantive Chief Justice post at Chandigarh so far.
- What does a High Court Chief Justice earn?
Under the 2017 pay revision (effective from January 2016), a High Court Chief Justice draws a monthly salary of ₹2.50 lakh — the same as a sitting Supreme Court judge — against ₹2.25 lakh for a puisne High Court judge. The pay hasn’t been revised since, though the government has flagged a forthcoming Pay Commission review.
Does this appointment change anything on the ground in Chandigarh?
Not immediately. Since Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra has been functioning as Acting Chief Justice since June, the day-to-day administration of the court — roster, case allocation, infrastructure decisions — continues uninterrupted. What changes is the formal designation, and the fact that he now has a fixed, known runway of just over four years to leave his imprint as full Chief Justice, rather than functioning in a caretaker capacity.
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