JUSTICE ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA TAKES OATH AS CHIEF JUSTICE OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT. CM BHAGWANT MANN STAYS AWAY

Face2News/Chandigarh

Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra on Monday took oath as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria administered the oath at a formal ceremony attended by High Court judges, senior officials and members of the legal fraternity.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh were also present at the ceremony. However, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his entire Cabinet stayed away, making their absence a subject of discussion.

The absence came against the backdrop of growing differences between the Punjab government and the Centre over Justice Mishra’s appointment. The Punjab Cabinet had passed a resolution objecting to the appointment and had sought postponement of the swearing-in ceremony

The Punjab government had argued that the Centre proceeded with the appointment process without waiting for the state’s views. It had urged the President, Prime Minister and Governor to defer the appointment and the swearing-in ceremony, alleging that the prescribed process of consultation with the state government had not been followed.
The Centre, however, maintained that the appointment of a High Court Chief Justice is governed by the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) and the constitutional mechanism for the appointment of judges, and that the consent of the state government is not required.

The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by the Chief Justice of India, had recommended Justice Mishra’s appointment on August 6.

The controversy over his appointment has added another dimension to the already strained relationship between the AAP-led Punjab government and the BJP-led Central government.

Justice Mishra had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court since June 2, following the elevation of then Chief Justice Sheel Nagu to the Supreme Court. He was transferred from the AllahabadHigh Court to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2025.

Born on November 16, 1968, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra completed his BA (Honours) in Economics from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and obtained his LLB degree from the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi.
He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2014, and became a permanent judge on February 1, 2016. He continued to serve at the Allahabad High Court until July 20, 2025, before being transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.