SC Collegium recommends Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as chief justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court

Just over two months after Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra took charge as Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended his appointment as the Chief Justice. The recommendation was made by the Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant at its meeting on August 6.

A judge of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Mishra was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court and took the oath here on July 21, 2025. He assumed charge as Acting Chief Justice on June 1 this year, following the elevation of Justice Sheel Nagu, the then Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to the Supreme Court.

His brief tenure as Acting Chief Justice has, among other things, seen a marked focus on judicial infrastructure, access to justice and environmental concerns. Two major infrastructure projects — the Tower of Justice, the new court complex at Gurugram, and the multi-level parking facility at the District Courts complex, Sector 43, Chandigarh — were inaugurated in quick succession after he took charge.

Justice Mishra has also constituted a committee to identify measures for strengthening judicial infrastructure, particularly court buildings, as part of efforts to modernise the justice delivery system and improve access to justice.

His tenure has also seen a series of initiatives focusing on the environment and rehabilitation. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant launched a region-wide tree plantation drive covering Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, with Justice Mishra present at the launch.

The monsoon-long drive envisages planting lakhs of indigenous saplings across court complexes and other judicial institutions. A youth recovery and rehabilitation campaign, aimed at helping vulnerable young people overcome substance dependence and rebuild their lives, was also launched.

Focus on PILs, environmental issues

As a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Mishra’s Bench has dealt with a range of matters concerning illegal mining, ecological protection, judicial administration, service law and constitutional issues.

He has also given renewed emphasis to public interest litigation, with the Bench led by him seeking responses from the State at the initial stage in appropriate matters and fixing cases for early hearing where warranted. His Bench has also dealt with several sensitive environmental matters, including proceedings concerning alleged illegal mining in the Aravalli region.

The High Court also recorded a significant disposal performance last month, with 18,574 cases being disposed of against 18,373 cases instituted during the period. The disposals exceeded fresh institution by 201 cases, while overall pendency remained stable over the preceding six months.

Justice Mishra’s profile

Justice Mishra was born on November 16, 1968. He graduated with a BA (Honours) in Economics from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and obtained his LLB from the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi.

He enrolled as an advocate on May 8, 1993, and primarily practised in civil, constitutional and service matters. During his years at the Bar, he appeared as arguing counsel for several statutory and public bodies, including the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA), Ghaziabad Development Authority, Allahabad Development Authority, IFFCO, Indian Oil Corporation and the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation. He also represented the State government as senior counsel in important matters and was designated Senior Advocate in 2013.

Justice Mishra was appointed an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2014, and became a permanent Judge on February 1, 2016. He served there until July 20, 2025, before being transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Among the notable judgments delivered by a bench comprising Justice Mishra during his tenure at the Allahabad High Court was the October 2023 verdict in the Nithari killings cases.