Acting Chief Justices Designated for High Courts Across India

Central Government Appoints Acting Chief Justices for Four High Courts

In a significant judicial development, the Central government has announced the appointment of acting Chief Justices for four major High Courts in India—namely, the Punjab and Haryana, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Courts. This follows the elevation of the previous Chief Justices to the Supreme Court.

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Details of the Appointments

According to the gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice on June 1, the following judicial appointments have been confirmed:

Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra will serve as the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, succeeding Chief Justice Sheel Nagu.
Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge has been appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, following the elevation of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
Justice Vivek Rusia has been named Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, replacing Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.
Justice Sanjeev Kumar will take over as Acting Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, succeeding Chief Justice Arun Palli.

Background and Future Projections

Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra was elevated to the Allahabad High Court in 2014 and transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2025. He is set to retire in November 2030. Post Chief Justice Nagu’s elevation, the Punjab and Haryana High Court is operating with 57 judges against a sanctioned capacity of 85.

Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge, elevated to the Bombay High Court in 2013, is due for retirement in July 2028. The current judge strength at the Bombay High Court is 77, against a sanctioned strength of 94.

Justice Vivek Rusia, elevated to the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2016, is set to retire in August 2031. The High Court currently has 40 judges against a sanctioned strength of 53.

Justice Sanjeev Kumar, who became a judge of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in 2017, will retire in April 2028. This High Court has 12 judges against a sanctioned strength of 25.

Implications for Future Appointments

Except for Justice Mishra, the newly appointed acting Chief Justices have more than six months of judicial service remaining at their respective High Courts. This suggests that the Supreme Court Collegium might soon recommend permanent Chief Justices for these courts.

Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Arun Palli, and V Mohana were officially sworn in as Supreme Court judges earlier today.