Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra has been sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, taking his oath of office from Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in a ceremony attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
Background and Legal Career
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Roots and Legal Legacy: Hailing from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Justice Mishra comes from a prominent legal family. His father, Shree Rang Mishra, served as a judge at the Allahabad and Calcutta High Courts, and his elder brother, Ajay Kumar Mishra, is the Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh.
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Education: He completed his BA (Honours) at Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, followed by an LLB.
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Judicial Tenure: He began practicing as an advocate at the Allahabad High Court in 1993, serving there for two decades before being appointed as a judge. After serving at the Allahabad High Court for roughly 11 years, he moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where he initially served as Acting Chief Justice.
Key Judicial Rulings During his time as Acting Chief Justice, Justice Mishra delivered a high-profile verdict in the Punjab employees’ Dearness Allowance (DA) case. He ordered the Punjab government to clear outstanding employee DA within fifteen days. While the state government appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, employees subsequently filed a contempt case against the administration for non-compliance, with proceedings ongoing.
