CHANDIGARH, July 21 — Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was sworn in on Monday as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, assuming charge as the senior-most puisne judge after the Chief Justice. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu in a brief ceremony attended by sitting and retired judges, senior bureaucrats, members of the Bar, and family members.
Justice Mishra’s transfer from the Allahabad High Court follows a recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium on May 26 and forms part of a wider reshuffle of the judiciary cleared by the Ministry of Law and Justice on July 14. The notification also included the transfer of three senior judges from the Punjab and Haryana High Court: Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma to the Rajasthan High Court, Justice Anil Kshetarpal to the Delhi High Court, and Justice Sudhir Singh to the Patna High Court.
Aged 56, Justice Mishra brings with him extensive experience in civil, constitutional, and service law. After completing his undergraduate degree in economics (honours) from Delhi University’s Kirori Mal College, he earned his law degree from the Campus Law Centre, also at Delhi University. He enrolled with the Bar on May 8, 1993, and practiced extensively in Uttar Pradesh, representing statutory authorities such as the development authorities of Noida, Ghaziabad, and Allahabad.
Designated as a Senior Advocate in 2013, Justice Mishra was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2014. He was confirmed as a Permanent Judge on February 1, 2016.
His appointment to the Punjab and Haryana High Court comes at a time of significant judicial transitions, and his position as the most senior judge after the Chief Justice is expected to be pivotal in shaping the court’s functioning and jurisprudence in the coming months.
