New Delhi: Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was today, September 7, sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana high court.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann did not attend the ceremony, in a move that follows his government's objection to the appointment. Chief ministers of both Punjab and Haryana traditionally attend the swearing in ceremony of the chief justice of the shared high court. Mann's Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini was present.

Reports quoting an official spokesman said that Mann left for New Delhi today and is scheduled to meet jailed cabinet colleague Sanjeev Arora.

The Punjab government had held that the Union government notified Justice Mishra's appointment without waiting for its views. This, it said, was in violation of the Memorandum of Procedure for the appointment and transfer of chief justices and judges of high courts.

Legislative assembly elections are expected to be held in Punjab in February 2027, making the position of the chief justice a key one at this time. This high court is also significant as the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, was a judge here.

Finance minister Harpal Cheema said, according to The Tribune, “All procedures for the appointment of the Chief Justice, as detailed in various letters, were ignored while notifying his appointment."

In a resolution a day ago, Punjab cabinet has also accused the Union government of violating Punjab’s constitutional rights.

"Taking serious exception to the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court without awaiting the views of the Punjab Government, the Cabinet resolved that the appointment and administration of oath should be put on hold until Punjab’s views are obtained and duly considered," the government said in a statement.

Justice Mishra was first appointed a judge of the Allahabad high court in February 2014, Bar and Bench has noted. He has been posted at the Punjab and Haryana high court since July 2025.

Justice Mishra led a bench last month that directed the Punjab government to release pending dearness allowance to its employees at a burden of Rs 14,100 crore on the cash-strapped state.

Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain had said that the Punjab government’s reaction “most unfortunate and totally uncalled for”. Jain cited the fact that the appointment was made by the President of India, the highest constitutional authority, under Article 217(1) of the Constitution.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association also held an urgent meeting of its executive and condemned the Punjab government’s stand.

This is the second tumultuous high court chief justice appointment in the past month. After allegations by a sitting Supreme Court judge and protests by lawyers in Rajasthan against acting chief justice of the Rajasthan high court, Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, the Supreme Court Collegium on August 31 recommended Chhattisgarh high court judge Sanjay K. Agarwal as the chief justice of the Rajasthan high court.

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